Recon
by mellobearman
Summary: A new student with extraordinary vision arrives at the school. How will he handle his teenage lust for his mentor when it turns to far deeper emotions? SLASH WARNING! BeastxOCxLogan. Mature readers only, especially in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Recon

Disclaimer #1: I am not, nor will I ever claim to be, an expert on X-Men, so I'm sure there are only about a million facts in here that are wrong. I beg your forgiveness. I had this story in my head and it had to get out, no matter who I offend .

Disclaimer #2: SLASH WARNING. BeastxOCxLogan. It starts a bit in the beginning, but it will get more graphic in later chapters. Mature readers only! If you're not all about the man-on-man action, you may not want to read this. Oh, and it might get a bit kinky…

Disclaimer #3: This is my first story. I know it rambles on more than it should, but this is how it wants to be written, and I can't help that. Please R&R, but cut me at least a teeeeny bit o' slack. 

Disclaimer #4: Characters, settings, and overall reality are copyright Marvel Comics, so purty please don't sue me.

Chapter 1

Most stories of mutants coming of age usually involve a hefty dose of tragedy, angst, isolation, and abandonment. Innocent people are killed, their family shuns them, fear drives them from their homes. Some have no memory of who they were or where they came from. Still others talk of the ways in which their abilities caused endless destruction and pain. When their powers begin to manifest, typically around puberty, the stories are bleak, and they arrive at the school to find refuge from the cold, harsh lives they have fallen into.

Not me. My tale of discovering my mutation is really very uneventful. It wasn't until I had been at Xavier's school that the angst and isolation set in.

I was twelve when I started to notice the change in me. My eyes, which had been a deep brown, became snow white almost overnight. I had always had strong eyesight, but I began to notice that if I concentrated, I could see objects very closely, like I had built-in binoculars. At first, I couldn't do it for very long without getting a headache. However, as my eyes began to lose their color, my ability grew. I was able to zoom in on objects from hundreds of yards away in amazing detail and stability. Before long, I learned how to see right down to the atomic level. My pupils began to shift from round to a sort of four pointed scroll, which opened up to engulf my entire eye when my ability was in full use. Of course, it didn't take too long for my parents to figure out there was something going on.

Let me explain something about my folks; my parents are intellectuals in every sense of the word. Both are PhD's and lecture at an uncounted number of universities around the country. My mother's specialty is philosophy and religion, while my father's passion is social psychology and cultural anthropology. Needless to say, my childhood was filled with culture, deep discussions at the dinner table, and a never ending parade of the greatest minds in the world for dinner parties, holidays, and pretty much any other occasion they could conjure up. I guess this would explain why their reaction to my mutation was far more progressive than most of my classmates.

The day my mother walked in on me staring off into the distance with my eyes completely black, she was taken aback, for sure. Despite her shock, she calmly sat down on my bed next to me and put her arm around my shoulders. This, of course, startled the piss out of me and snapped me back out of my vision. She surveyed my now snow-white eyes and scrolled pupils with the intensity she normally reserved for her academics.

"Alex," she said softly, "tell me what you saw."

So I told her. Everything.

Once my parents had learned their son was a mutant, they knew my life was destined for a different path than they had planned, to say the least. Still, they were educated, and they understood the mutant movement that was happening within society. My father had spent the last few years researching the effect of mutants on social evolution. It was through those studies that he had developed a friendship with a certain Professor Charles Xavier.

I had seen Professor Xavier over at the house before, but only from afar at one of the many fundraising dinners my father organized, so when I came downstairs to find him in our sitting room, I knew immediately who he was. My father had told me of his mission and his school, and I understood why he was there, alone, and waiting to talk to me.

"Hello, Alex," he said with that smooth, upper-class British baritone I would come to know so well. "I am Professor Charles Xavier."

He reached out his hand and I shook it gracefully, yet firmly, just as my parents had taught me. This was far from my first time meeting a man of power.

"I know of you and your work, Professor Xavier," I replied as I took a seat in a large, padded leather chair next to his deceptively simple wheelchair. "It is an honor to meet you, Sir."

He smiled warmly, and I could sense he was a man who possessed far more power than that of wealth, knowledge, or prestige. In fact, I could almost see actual waves of energy emanating from within him. They were barely tangible until I really focused on them, then they seemed to grow stronger until I was almost blinded by their radiance. My vision suddenly shifted, as if I were seeing a whole different wavelength of light.

The Professor then said something I would soon hear very, very often.

"Tell me what you are seeing, Alex."

And that's how I became a student of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Within a week I had packed my things, bid my few close friends farewell, and was stepping foot into the greatest adventure, the greatest pain, the greatest joy, and the greatest destiny that I could have ever imagined.

See? No one died, no one abandoned me, no destruction was wrought, no sorrow or angst consumed me. Really, a pretty boring mutant revelation story. Hardly worth telling, really, considering my future held far more interesting tales. Still, it's important to know where I began in order to understand where I am now.

Once the Professor and the others at the Institute studied my mutation, it became clear to all of us the ways in which I could become a vital resource to the X-Men team. Still, I was only thirteen when I arrived, and in need of many years of education and development. Despite that fact, I could tell the X-Men had set plans in motion for my future.

There were two ways my extraordinary visual powers could be put to the best use. Since I was essentially a human microscope, even beyond most of the machines of the day, a natural place for me would be in a scientific and research environment. Science certainly interested me, seeing as I had become a geek long before a mutant, so when Jean Grey brought that point up, I was eager to follow that path.

On the other hand, my abilities also had the potential for making an ideal reconnaissance operative during combat missions. With my ability to not only see great distances, beyond the most sophisticated scopes in the arsenal, but also see quite possibly every type of wave form in existence, I could make the ultimate recon and detection agent. While never raised in any kind of environment even remotely related to anything military or, for that matter, particularly athletic, the idea of someday becoming a master recon man for a team like the X-Men set my young mind racing with excitement.

I remember the day I sat in Professor Xavier's study to discuss my place at the Institute. Jean Grey and Storm were there with the Professor himself, and each one of them took turns at length discussing the merits and risks of each path. Storm, I sensed, was eager to put me to active use on the team someday, but Miss Grey and the Professor seemed to prefer the scientific route. None of them overtly pushed me one way or the other, but I could tell.

It was all too much for me, really. I mean, there I was, thirteen years old, discovering I had these incredible powers, put into a new world with these strange and exotic mutants, and having to decide what the hell I wanted to be when I grew up. Xavier, being Xavier, tried to put it into perspective for me.

"Alex," he said as he directed his wheelchair from behind his desk and rolled quietly to my side, "I know your father very well. I promised Dr. Rieger that you would have the best guidance and education that this institute and I could offer. I know this is so much for you to take in, and you're still so young."

He leaned in slightly and looked me in the eye. I hardly knew this man, really, and yet I believed him. I believed _in_ him. He understood what was happening to me. Hell, he'd been dealing with kids like me for longer than I'd been alive, practically. I trusted him. All three of them. It still didn't make it any easier to decide my fate. Or did I have to decide?

"Do I have to choose one _or_ the other?" I asked as I looked at each of them in turn. "I mean, couldn't I do _both_?"

For a moment there was silence as each one of them pondered the question. Jean Grey, looking impossibly beautiful in a simple, elegant way, and Storm, with her striking white hair and mocha skin shimmering with grace and regality, both seemed to smile slightly and looked at the Professor as if to say "What do we do with this one?"

It was Jean Grey who spoke up first.

"Alex," she said carefully and kneeled down next to me opposite the Professor, "do you understand what you're asking? Either option means a lot of work, training, and focus if you want to be part of the team someday. The reason you need to decide this now is so we can start you off in the right direction as soon as possible. Doing both would be…" She struggled for the right words to convey the complexity of what I was suggesting.

"Well within this boy's potential," Xavier said simply with a smile. "You are asking for a lifetime of work, young man, but I think, if you truly want to take both paths with your abilities, you will become extraordinary." His eyes were alive with fire at the possibilities, which sort of scared the living crap out of me. "The road will be long, my friend."

"But you won't be on it alone," said Storm with an air of determination. "You will have all of us right here with you. You are part of our family now, Alex, and every one of us is committed to you."

At that moment, in the middle of all this newness and excitement and uncertainty and God-knows-what-the-hell-is-going-to-happen-to-me, I felt at peace. I felt…like I was home. Sure, it was a home full of people who could walk through walls, hurl ice, shoot energy beams from their eyes, control the weather, and move things with their minds, but still…it was the greatest place in the world to me at that moment. I was ready to move into a world I scarcely understood but wanted desperately to embrace.

"So I guess I should unpack my stuff, then, and get started, huh?"


	2. Chapter 2

Recon

Chapter 2

To say I hit the ground running would be cliché, for sure, and a complete understatement. Once I was settled into my room, it seemed I had barely enough time to unpack before I was shuttled around the mansion, meeting the rest of the students and staff.

Technically, it was the second time I saw him, but the first time we were formally introduced. Exotic and beautiful didn't even begin to describe him. He seemed gigantic to me, though in height he wasn't even six feet. Still, he was massive, muscular, and imposing. And that incredible blue fur…

"Alex, I'd like you to meet Dr. Henry McCoy," Jean said as we stood in the doorway of an unbelievably impressive science lab.

I'm not even sure how I found air in my lungs with which to speak. "Hello, Dr. McCoy. It is a p-pleasure to meet you, Sir."

The sound that came from this beast of a man was so contradictory to his brutishly handsome stature that, for a moment, I though perhaps someone was hiding behind him doing a voice-over. It was rumbling and deep, but at the same time smooth, gentle, and graceful, like silken roads in a sunset. The sound, as it hit my ear, made my knees weak, and, even if I were too young to understand what it meant, it filled my stomach with a thousand butterflies doing cartwheels.

"Alex." That simple word, that first time he said my name, would never be forgotten. "It is a distinct honor and pleasure to meet such a fine young man." He held out his massive, blue furry hand.

I was entranced, and waited probably a tick or two longer than I should have before I reached my own hand up and found it engulfed in his warm…oh so warm…and gentle handshake. I was awestruck. I didn't want to let go, but my manners won out before the timing became awkward.

"The Professor has spoken of your extraordinary vision, and of your interest in putting it to use within the realm of science. I must say I am most pleased to hear of this. I look forward to us working together in the future, and I am very excited to begin your education," he explained smoothly as he reached up to adjust his round, wire-framed glasses. They gave him an academic air and looked perfect perched on his handsome blue face.

He was beast and brains, power and intellect, brute and beautiful, and my young mind was trying to come to grips with how this man made me feel.

Just as quickly as the introduction was made, I was whisked away again to continue my tour. I remember him saying goodbye and that he would see me tomorrow for class. I was worried I wouldn't sleep a wink in anticipation of seeing the good doctor again.

I was introduced to a million mutants that day, it seemed, and it would be a while before I was comfortable with faces or names. As the days and months went by, I started making friends with some of the others. Bobby, or Iceman, as he would be called, became a good friend, even though he was a bit older than I. I took a liking to a giant of a boy named Peter, or Poitr, as he was called in his native Russian, and we hung out sometimes. Of course, through Bobby, I became friends with Rogue, as well. Not that I would have much time for friends…or sleep…

My education started full force, and I was quickly engulfed in my studies. The weeks and months sped by, and I settled into a routine. My parents would visit the school on occasion, which was nice, since I chose not to take the time to go back to their home in upstate New York.

I took to my chemistry and biology classes with intensity, eager to understand the things I was able to see with my abilities. It was one thing to be able to see a molecule, but quite another to know what it was and how to work with it. I devoured as much information as I could put in front of me, which seemed to please Dr. McCoy.

Don't get me wrong, I was passionate about science, but I was also eager to do anything that put me in the company of Dr. McCoy. I loved to be around him, and his patient, thorough teaching only served to endear him to me all the more. He is an extraordinary educator and amazing man, and the years of study with him were the best I've ever known.

As I came into my fifteenth year, it was time to start getting to shape and learning the field skills that would put me on the X-Men team. I needed to start building my body to be as sharp as my mind was becoming, and learn how to defend myself and my teammates. Mr. Summers, the California-handsome leader of the X-Men, decided the best person to show me combat skills was a man named Logan.

Logan. I'd known who he was before we met. Hell, I'd been at the mansion for over two years and he was hard to miss. I would see him brooding around from time to time. He'd disappear for a while, then I'd spot him around the school. I knew of his ability to heal, his extraordinary skeleton, and, of course, those claws. From what I saw, he was gruff, crude, and short-tempered. Wolverine was a name that suited him too well, as far as I was concerned. When Scott told me to report to him after class to begin my training, I was filled with dread. Logan scared the shit out of me.

I put on the bravest front I could, took a deep breath, and strode confidently into the gym. He was leaning against the far wall, and I didn't see him until I saw the spark of his lighter as he lit up one of his trademark cigars. Dressed in a white tank, shorts, and sneakers, he was compact, wide, and impossibly muscular. Black hair covered his massive chest, arms, and legs. His wild hair and sideburns gave him a look more animalistic than even Dr. McCoy. His eyes were just as hard as the rest of him as he surveyed me up and down, like a predator measuring his prey. I was doomed for sure.

"So," he finally growled after an agonizing minute of scrutiny, "you're the kid Scott stuck on me." It wasn't a question. It was more like a statement of resignation.

"Um…yes, Sir, Mr. Logan…Sir." _Oh God. Did I just call him Mr. Logan? This is not going well._

Logan simply smirked and started circling me slowly; a wolf to my proverbial sheep. Outwardly, I stood tall, still, confident, and ready for anything. I sensed it was best not to show him any weakness. Of course, inside I was pissing myself scared.

"You're fifteen? Pretty scrawny, kid. But don't worry," he sneered in my ear from behind, "I'm pissed off enough about this babysittin' gig to beat that body of yours into a real pack o' meat. I'm gonna try like hell to make this fun…for me, anyway."

And so it began. From that very moment I began a workout routine that left me exhausted every night and sore every morning. I absolutely hated it in the beginning, but I wasn't about to let Logan get the best of me. For some reason, I was bound to impress him just as much as Dr. McCoy. It was pure stubborn determination that got me through those first few months.

During the day I was in class, and at night I was at the mercy of the Wolverine. Gradually…very gradually…I began to settle into my workouts. It wasn't but six months before my body began to change. I packed on muscle and the routines became less torture. After a while, I even looked forward to my time with Logan. Once I got over my fear of him, I started to have very different feelings about my "babysitter".

Just before I tuned sixteen, I realized that it was more than my mutation that made me different from most of my classmates. Of course, my body had hit puberty and the hormones kicked in before then, but at some point I realized that I had no physical interest in girls at all. I found myself staring at Poitr's incredible body when we'd hang out, or take a little longer to check out Bobby or the other guys during class. However, with all the studying and workouts, I really didn't have much time to fully understand what that meant.

Though my raging gay teenage body reacted to the many handsome boys and men around the school, no one raised my desire, or my cock, like Dr. McCoy. In his classes my boyhood admiration turned to lust. He was so graceful and gentle, yet so brawny and powerful. Sometimes we'd be in class and he'd come by to look over my shoulder at my work, and feeling his warm, furry body so close to mine would spring a boner to cut steel. Some might find it strange to feel such attraction to someone so animalistic, but it was that animalism that combined with his intellect and personality that made me jack myself off every chance I got. Every class with him was a torturous combination of heaven and hell.

As if having the hots for Dr. McCoy wasn't enough, I was having the same reaction with Logan. This was almost worse because that man can put off sexual energy like a tidal wave. He was raw lustful animal, and his broad hairy body was so often in contact with mine during our routine. There were so many classic "spotting me on the weight bench and looking up at his crotch" moments that I swear he was making me do presses just to get me going. Sometimes he'd be behind me, guiding my weight lifting to ensure proper form, and he'd be in my ear saying things like "Yeah, that's it…lift that fucker one more time…" in that gravely growl. It is amazing I didn't blow my wad in my shorts. There was no way he couldn't have seen my hard-on during ninety percent of my time with him back then.

So I had a raging boner during the day from Dr. McCoy, and at night from Logan. That was how life was for a long time. I decided the only way to get over it was to focus my energy on the task at hand. Looking back, I realize now that trying not to be perpetually horny probably contributed a great deal to my incredible progress in both areas. My knowledge of science, chemistry, and biology soon pushed me into physics and the other sciences. At the same time, my body was growing strong and muscular. I had a big, solid chest and six-pack abs. I was no Colossus, but I was one built seventeen-year-old!

That year, Logan and I agreed that I needed to branch my training into more than just strength training. I began to learn how to fight hand-to-hand, and my sessions began to include the Danger Room and the other X-Men members. Logan and the others taught me tactics, skills, and teamwork, and my abilities began to blossom under their guidance. While my skills at combat were progressing, my mental skills were also continuing to take shape as well.

While my evening trainings were forging me into a warrior, my daytime studies were cultivating my intellectual talents. I did pretty well in all of my classes, not a perfect student, but above average. In the sciences and technology areas, however, I truly excelled. My mutation allowed me to study objects and subjects down to the atomic level, and Dr. McCoy helped me learn how to understand what I was seeing and how to apply my knowledge to real-world scientific study. At seventeen I was regularly assisting him in his lab, combining his teaching with real experimentation and application.

The decision to study ancient Eastern combat techniques was my own. I wanted to learn how to be silent and invisible like the ninja, inflicting damage to my enemies with lightning speed. To this I added the ability to disguise myself and blend in with any crowd, take on the persona of any character. I knew the key to being an effective X-Man was to find my specialty, and master it to the ultimate degree. My mutant vision was the start, but I wanted to be the ultimate reconnaissance man, the one who could get in anywhere, get to anything, and leave no trace of my existence behind.

That's how I got my moniker. I was in a meeting with Cyclops, Jean Gray, Storm, and Professor Xavier to determine my progress toward becoming a member of the team. Logan had already given a report as to my physical readiness, and Dr. McCoy had testified as to my mental readiness. I was on the verge of my eighteenth birthday, and I was chomping at the bit to see some action (on more ways than one, but that's not part of the story yet…).

"There is no doubt you've done very well in the Danger Room, Alex," the Professor stated as he read the reports on the desk in front of him. "What do you think, Scott? Where does he fit in on the team?"

"There's no doubt there, Professor. He's our Recon."

And Recon I became.

I won't bore you with the details of my first mission, but suffice it to say I did alright. I was invisible in the treetops and fed the team exactly what they needed to bust that guy out without a scratch. It wasn't the mission, or even the fact that it was my initiation into the team, that made an impact on me that day.

That was the first time I saw Dr. McCoy as Beast, and his ferocity and acrobatics in combat was breathtaking. It was at that moment, sitting up there in the trees, watching him unleash his strength against the waves of guards with effortless grace and rage, that I knew what I felt for him was far more than teenage lust. The implication of that revelation was almost more than I could bear.


	3. Chapter 3

_Warning:__ This chapter contains mature themes of a homosexual nature, including language and situations. Reader discretion is advised. None of these characters are mine, and everything belongs to Marvel (or, rather, Disney now, I suppose). If you have enjoyed these chapters thus far, please review and provide feedback._

Recon

Chapter 3

It was after that first mission that things really became difficult for me. What had been simple hormone-driven attraction was now a very deep emotion. I was stone silent in the jet on the way back to the mansion, and I dared not even look at Dr. McCoy for fear of betraying my feelings for him. I could sense concern among the team, but they left me alone. No doubt they were used to moody mutants.

The problem wasn't being uncomfortable with my own feelings. I had come to terms with my own sexuality a while ago, and while I had yet to tell anyone, I certainly didn't struggle with it in my own mind. The problem was that I couldn't tell Dr. McCoy how I felt about him; I would risk everything I had worked to achieve with the X-Men.

Hell, I didn't even know if he was gay. He never talked about women, but he never talked about men, either. I knew he didn't harbor any prejudice in regards to gay men and women, and he had mentioned fully supporting the emerging scientific evidence of a biological component to homosexuality. Even so, I had no idea about his sexual interests.

In fact, he didn't really talk personally about himself to me at all. I was around him for hours, even days, at a time, but we never talked about anything on a personal or emotional level; Dr. McCoy kept everything professional. Occasionally he would put a hand on my shoulder while we were surveying some experiment or another, or lean in close during a conversation. He was always friendly, even mildly affectionate, but it was always platonic, as if he purposefully kept a certain distance from me. On the few occasions when I'd try to casually get him to open up, he'd get cautious and somehow steer the conversation back to me. It had become maddening.

Besides, I thought, even if…even if he were into guys, there was still no guarantee he had any feelings for me, physical or emotional. I mean, I wasn't a bad looking guy. I had grown to a respectable six feet, developed a pretty nice body, and I had a kind of All American Boy face, even with my goatee. Even so, I didn't hold a candle to Dr. McCoy. He was brilliant, strong, graceful, sophisticated, powerful…so much more than I thought I could ever become. I saw him as miles out of my league. If he wanted the company of a man, he could charm anyone he wanted into his bed. There was no reason he would choose someone like me.

Not that that belief did anything to allay my feelings for him. The brain may know the facts, but the heart never listens. Within days of that mission, it was unbearable for me. My desire was almost painful when I was around him, yet when we were apart, I was in agony. The only thing I hated more than being around him was being away from him. I think I knew, somewhere in the back of my anxiety-ridden mind, that I could only go on like that for so long.

One side effect of my angst was that my time training with Logan had become much more intense. I used my physical workout as a release of frustration. I think I managed to shock even the mighty Wolverine with the intensity of my workouts. Logan might come off as a wise-ass thug, but he's smart and extremely perceptive. He knew I was channeling energy from something else, but he never pressed me for answers. Instead he helped me beat the crap out of anything I could, including myself, at least to a point.

"You gotta knock it off for now, Kid, or your gonna rip something, and that ain't gonna be cute," he's say after I did one too many reps.

"I'm fine, Logan. One more set," I'd reply defiantly and lay back down on the bench.

At that point he'd usually do something like straddle me and pin my arms to my chest, staring down at me with those burning eyes and say, very slowly and directly "You. Are. Done."

The feeling of his compact, muscular, hairy body on me, along with the whiff of his delicious sweat, would make me momentarily forget being a lovesick fool and make me into a horny young man again. When Logan overpowered me like that, I would often spring a full-fledged hardon that I'm sure he noticed. Once in a while I'd feel his stare on me when I wasn't looking, and I'd swear he was giving me the elevator eyes. I never had the nerve to try and test him by making any overt moves, since being wrong about that might have been very painful for me. Logan wasn't the kind to take kindly to unwelcome advances.

Despite my passing lust for Wolverine, I'd fall right back into my tortured emotions the second I saw Dr. McCoy. It never seemed to fail that I'd inevitably stumble around a corner and right into him, especially after my workouts with Logan. He usually had his furry nose buried in some report or paper as he walked past, but he'd look up at my approach. A quick but friendly greeting was all I ever got, and I'd look past the round glasses into those deep blue eyes and stammer something incoherent. If he ever noticed my puppy dog expression, he never let on.

Between finishing my education, my work in the lab, my workouts and training with Logan, and being completely in love with my mentor, the stress was beginning to take its toll. I wasn't sleeping well, even less than usual, and I barely ate. I was pushing my mind, body, and emotions to the breaking point, so the result should not have surprised me. I was losing control of my mutant ability.

It started gradually; infrequent at first, but it got worse. I didn't lose my ability, just my control over it. My focus would shift erratically, and I'd be doing something like reading an article online and I'd suddenly be looking at the atomic structure of my monitor. Other times, my vision would spontaneously shift into another wavelength, and I'd have to try and make my way down the hall while seeing everything in infrared, ultraviolet, or some other crazy radiation frequency. When I needed to shift into a magnification, I'd either completely overshoot my intended level or my vision would shake so much I couldn't make see a thing. My hard-won mastery over my power was dissolving rapidly, and it didn't take Dr. McCoy long to know something was wrong with me. It was inevitable.

The day was the usual routine. I suffered through a humanities class, my mind wandering into unclean thoughts of Dr. McCoy as Professor Xavier talked about the Mayan Civilization. Afterward, I quickly packed up my laptop and made my way to the lab, skipping lunch once again. Dr. McCoy was standing at one of the many consoles, and I could see from my angle that his lab coat was open. He was only wearing his customary uniform shorts underneath, since even the air conditioning couldn't keep him cool on such a summer day. The prospect of seeing his massive furry chest exposed sent my mind reeling, but I did my best to swallow my feelings and sat down at my area to resume my work.

"Ah! Good day, Alex." He smiled and turned from his console. His expanse of blue furry muscles was framed by the stark white of the coat, and the sight made me shiver. "Looks like you survived another trip to ancient Mexico, eh?"

"Wha-? Oh, yeah…The Professor's lecture was interesting today," I lied as casually as I could and forced myself away from his amazingly exposed body. I removed my laptop from my backpack and plugged it into the docking station. This was going to be a long afternoon.

"Fascinating culture, the Mayans," he quipped as he shuffled around the tabletop looking for something, "Their medical techniques were…brutal compared with our modern methods, but they were ahead of their time on many levels. HA! Here it is." He held up a sheet of paper and stepped over to me. "This is the preliminary report from the computer simulation of the reaction," he said as he set the paper in front of me.

From this close, I could breathe in his scent, crisp and clean with a hint of musky undertones. It was as unique to him as a fingerprint, and it never failed to intoxicate me. _A long afternoon, indeed_, I thought as I struggled to focus on the report.

I knew what he wanted before he said it. "We can start the reaction whenever you're ready, Doctor. I'll observe the behavior of the molecules and compare them to this. That should give us an accurate calibration of the modeling program."

His smile, complete with those canine fangs, was so damn charming. "Excellent! Let me set up the infuser and we can get started."

Dr. McCoy turned and stepped quickly over to a console at the center of the lab. I stared a moment, lost in the thought of what his retreating view might look like naked. Quickly driving the image of his furry blue ass from my mind, I stood and made my way to my observation station.

We had worked together to set up a custom designed workspace where I had enough light to observe molecular and atomic structures of active material. Stationed in the heart of the lab, the area was dominated by a transparent container field. The wavelength of the field was designed carefully by Dr. McCoy to allow me unobstructed view of the material or reaction while still maintaining a contained, controlled environment. I could manipulate the lighting, including the position and wavelength, within the containment field to get optimum conditions for my vision. That used to be a process that took some calibration, but I've gotten better at estimating my needs. I already knew the materials we were working with, so I punched in the lighting specs and sat comfortably in the chair.

At this point let me say that this activity is something that Dr. McCoy and I had done on many occasions. Every now and then he liked to make sure his measuring and analytical systems were calibrated properly. He worked with some very standard, basic chemical materials in a reaction and used the computer systems to measure various results. I have become very familiar with these reactions, so we reproduce them for me and I record the same behaviors, measurements, and so on. We compare my results with the computers and make sure they are on target. Looking back on it, it had never occurred to me that Dr. McCoy trusted my work more than the computer.

"Alright, Alex, whenever you're ready I will inject the second chemical," he said as he worked the switches on the board to my left. He was tantalizingly close once again, and I could smell him. I prayed I could hold it together.

I took a deep breath and focused on the floating blob of chemicals in the containment field. Like flexing a muscle, I pushed my vision closer. So far I was steady and in control. The blob filled my vision and I dove inside. Closer and deeper I went until I could see the chains of molecules within. I told him I was ready.

"Injecting second material now," he reported in his steady, professional rumble. As he reached for the injection switch, he arm was just above my head. All at once I felt the heat from his arm next to my face and smelled the musk from his fur.

That was all it took. As the second material was injected into the containment field, my vision suddenly leapt backward five orders of magnitude. I struggled to regain magnification as I knew the reaction was beginning, but it began to fly wildly in and out, from the atomic level to normal and in between. Suddenly I was shifting to the ultraviolet spectrum and back again. The more I fought to steady it, the wilder my focus became. Like a whip the pain hit my head and I shifted violently back to normal view.

"Dammit!" I swore in frustration and pressed my fingers into my temples to try and stave off the mind-bending agony that washed over me. Dr. McCoy, startled by my sudden outburst, knelt down next to me.

"Alex! Alex…are you alright, my boy?" He turned my head toward him and looked into my eyes for any sign of injury. "What happened?"

I fought off the headache and struggled to regain my composure. I did not want to fail Dr. McCoy. I had to try and salvage this and hope he forgot all about it. I should have known better.

"I'm fine, Doctor. Really. I just had a lapse of focus for a moment, but I'm alright. The reaction is still happening. I can still observe it," I rattled quickly and went to resume my work.

"No, Alex, you are not alright," he stated firmly. "Let the reaction go. This is serious." I had never heard him speak to me in such a tone, and it frightened me back to my senses.

"I'm….fine. It's just a little headache. Probably interfering with my vision. I should have eaten lunch I guess, or maybe gotten more sleep or…"

"Enough." He silenced my rambling with a single word. "This is happening more and more with you, Alex. You're losing control of your ability, and we need to find out why."

He was looking right into my eyes, not with his usual look of medical scrutiny, but something deeper that even his small gold spectacles could not disguise. He was looking into me, through me. The reality of where this conversation might go hit me in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to run, to hide somewhere, but I was trapped.

After a moment of eternity he spoke, carefully and calmly. "Normally I would start with a complete physical analysis of you, but I do not think I would find anything. No, your mutant abilities are in chaos not because of anything physical, Alex." His eyes were soft, concerned, and caring. I had preferred the former Dr. McCoy stare. It was easier to steel myself against the scientist. "You barely eat. You are not sleeping well, if at all sometimes. Logan says you've been practically destroying things in your workouts. Professor Xavier tells me you are abnormally preoccupied during your other courses. Something is bothering you at your soul, Alex, and it's manifesting through your abilities."

"I…I don't know what you mean, Doctor. Things…things are fine, really" I shrugged in a vain attempt at appearing clueless to his implications. "Things have just been…"

"Don't bullshit me, Alex!" His profanity and fierceness took me aback. This was not the Dr. McCoy I had known. His eyes were passionate, almost dangerous now. I wanted to look away from him, look away from the shame I knew had flooded my face, but I was transfixed in his burning stare. "Do no pull this teenage indifference with me. I have known you for too long, and I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to help you, Alex. You are in pain and I want to help you out of it. This is not your teacher talking. This is your friend talking to you now. I want to know what is going on."

That was the first time he'd ever called me friend; the first time he'd ever indicated we were any closer than student and teacher, teammates on the battlefield. After all the times I'd tried to get close to him, he was reaching out to me at the worst possible time. I did not want to tell him. I did not want to say to him what I had always feared he would know. This was not how I had planned this. The reality was too much for me, but I could not escape the train that was barreling down the track at me. I couldn't bear to look him in the eye.

"It's…It's you, Dr. McCoy," I said, my voice hoarse and poisoned with emotion, barely a whisper. I was looking down at the smooth white surface of my workstation now. The heat on my face was burning though me.

"Wha…me?" His words were steeped with confusion. He knelt there in front me stunned for a moment, then stood, slowly pulled his glasses from this face, and began to pace as he quietly began his practical analysis of my admission. "I've worked you too hard. I have asked so much of you, and you are still just a young man. You have so much to give, and I have been taking and taking without any regard to your life, Alex. I never dreamed or realized it would do this to you…" His voice wavered.

I was struck with the realization of what he was saying. I knew I could take the easy way out and let him think his reasons were correct. It would have been simple to agree with him and let it go at that. But in that flash of a moment, I understood that he was feeling guilty, feeling like a bad teacher, a bad friend. I could not let him believe that. I leapt from my chair and grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face me. I could hear his glasses hit the ground and skip off under a table.

"No! No…Dr. McCoy. That's not it…that's not it at all. I can handle that, I really can. You've been the greatest thing in my life!" I stopped suddenly. The truth was roaring ever closer, and the sound seemed more than I could take. Once again I was looking into those blue eyes. This time they were drowning in a swarm of emotions I could not decipher.

"What is it, then, Alex," he rumbled softly, searching my face for a sign that might lead him to understanding. "Please…please tell me how I have done this to you."

I knew this was it. I had to let it go and live with the consequences. He deserved to know the truth. I slowly began my revelation.

"The day Jean Grey introduced us… that wasn't the first time I saw you. Earlier that morning I was on my way back from my parent's car. I…I had forgotten my backpack and ran back to get it while they were talking to the Professor." I quietly explained. "On the way back from the car I got lost and wandered past one of the libraries. You…you were perched in the window reading a book. The morning sun was streaming in…and…and you were bathed in a blue and gold halo. It was…you were…are…so beautiful. I was…entranced. You were so still and silent that I didn't even know if you were real until you turned the page and startled me. I have never forgotten that moment…that first moment I laid eyes on you, and…every day I can't…can't wait to see you again."

His expression turned to one of disbelief. I knew my admission would come unexpectedly to him. Those blue eyes were now filled with…something…I couldn't quite read them. "Alex," he finally said as he placed a hand on my shoulder, "what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that…I…" I looked away again as I felt the words rise up from the bottom of my soul. I could not bear to see him when they reached the surface. This was it. "…I love you, Dr. McCoy."

It was like someone else was talking, like it wasn't me who had spoken. Years of emotion and desire were floating in those words between us. I knew that whatever happened next, life would never be the same for us. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I fought like hell to keep them down. Crying now would only make matters worse.

I heard him rumble from deep inside his chest, a low purr like thunder on the horizon. A heartbeat later I felt his warm, soft hand under my chin, turning my gaze to him. As my eyes finally found his, I saw nothing of the hate, loathing, or rejection I had always feared. Instead I saw softness, peace, and something I'd never dared myself to believe.

"My boy...," he whispered, "I have waited a long, long time to hear you say that."

It was so gentle at first that I barely registered his lips on mine; they were impossibly warm and soft. Soon he had one massive arm wrapped around me, pulling me against his hard, furry body. My stunned mind began to register the kiss, and my body began to respond. I parted my lips slightly and his tongue, hot and insistent, slowly slipped inside my mouth. Our lips crushed together and I finally had a chance to run my hands over his incredible body. It was like fur-covered steel, hard and soft beneath my fingertips. I carefully traced my tongue over his two sharp canines before he sucked it into his mouth. My body was on fire, my cock rock hard in my jeans. I could feel his substantial bulge grow fatter against my hip and I struggled to comprehend that I could have such an effect on him. My brain began to short circuit as I tried to come to terms with what was happening. I was making out with Dr. Henry McCoy.

Our intensity had only begun to build when the sharp sound of someone clearing his throat startled us out of the moment. I was consumed with terror at being discovered with my teacher's tongue down my throat, but Dr. McCoy seemed to take it in stride. He broke the kiss immediately, then took just a brief moment to smile, caress my cheek in his giant, soft paw, and hit me with a heart-stopping smile before turning to face our intruder. I stood like a statue, my hands still planted firmly on his mountainous pecs. For some reason I felt that maintaining my physical contact with him would somehow protect me from whatever punishment awaited my transgression.

"Hello, Logan," Dr. McCoy said cheerfully, as if he hadn't just been caught in an intimate moment with a male student. "What brings you here?"

_LOGAN! Sweet mother Jesus God…anyone but him. We are so dead…How could I ever work out with him now that he knows?_ I turned my head very slowly to face Wolverine. He was wearing his trademark wife-beater, worn out jeans, engineer boots and a very mysterious smirk. Logan was never known to be subtle or mysterious about anything, but at that moment I could not, for the life of me, figure out if he was going to laugh, scream, rage, cry…I had no idea what he made of our situation. His dark eyes were unreadable as they scanned up and down our entwined bodies. He was standing there leaning slightly to his left, his right hand in his pocket, and his left hand holding some sort of package wrapped in brown parchment.

"The Professor sent me down with this for ya, Doc," he said simply, with a slight nod to the package. "Said to tell you it came in from the project in Brazil you were waiting on. Not sure what he meant, and don't really care, but here it is."

"Yes, very good. Thank you, Logan. If you could be so kind as to set it on the counter over there, that would be wonderful. I very much appreciate you taking the time to deliver it personally," Dr. McCoy replied with a smile and a nod toward the workstation along the right wall of the lab. I was amazed he remained so calm in this situation, but he was a professional, after all.

What followed could only be described as the most awkward silence imaginable. Finally, after an eternity, Logan took the two strides necessary to reach the workstation counter and set the package down with a soft rustle. He turned and looked me right in the eye before making his way back to the lab door. As it hissed open, Logan stopped in the threshold and gave another glance over his shoulder. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw the corner of his mouth curl up in a crooked grin.

"See ya later, Kid," he called as he disappeared in the corridor.

Only after the lab door slid shut did I actually start to breathe. Dr. McCoy still had his arm around me, and I relaxed into him, laying my forehead on his chest, as the events of the last two minutes started sinking in. All at once I was enveloped in his massive arms. I suddenly realized I was shaking.

"Hey, shhh…It's OK, Alex," Dr. McCoy cooed quietly as he gently stroked my hair. He lifted my head up once again and I was lost in those caring blue eyes. "Really. It'll be fine. I promise."

He reluctantly broke our embrace and put both his hands on my shoulders. The weight of his touch was a welcome anchor for my spinning mind.

"This has been a most remarkable morning, hasn't it?" He smiled and I could not help but smile back, despite my mixed emotions. "Why don't you take a break while I get this element Professor Xavier sent me ready for testing? Go grab yourself a drink from the kitchen and take a few deep breaths, then we must resume our work." He could sense my disappointment at stopping just when we had gotten started. "Now, now…our work must come first, then we can take time to further… discuss…this situation. Is that acceptable?"

It took another moment before I could truly regain my senses enough to respond. "Yes…yes, of course, Dr. McCoy," I replied as I wiped my eyes, straightened my shirt, and made my way toward the door. "I'll just be a few minutes, then I'll be ready to start again." I stopped and turned to look him solidly in the eyes, doing my best to muster every bit of confidence. "Honestly. I will be ready, Doctor."

"Good," he grinned. The door hissed open and as I stepped through he called out to me "Alex! One more thing…"

"Yes?"

"I think we're beyond you're having to call me Dr. McCoy, don't you think?"

"I guess so…H-Henry," I stammered.

"Hank, actually…my friends call me Hank."  
"Hank," I grinned like a schoolgirl as the door closed, leaving me alone in the corridor.


	4. Chapter 4

_Warning:__ This chapter contains elements of a homosexual nature, including language and situations. Reader discretion is advised. None of these characters are mine, and everything belongs to Marvel (or, rather, Disney now, I suppose). As always, if you have enjoyed these chapters thus far (or didn't, for that matter), please review and provide feedback. Many many thanks to all who have given feedback so far!_

Recon

Chapter 4

"Holy shit," I said out loud to no one in particular; most classes were in session and the corridor was mercifully vacated.

I backed up to the cold wood of the paneling, slumped slowly down the wall, and cradled my head in my shaking, sweat-soaked hands. This time I allowed the tears to come. They ran silent and warm down my cheek.

Everything happened so suddenly. One minute I was walking in as any other lab assistant and the next I was in his arms with his lips on mine. For a moment I thought maybe it never really happened, but I could still smell him…still taste him. It was, real, alright, and I did, in fact, admit my love to Dr. Mc- to Hank. He did, in fact, kiss me.

It was so exquisite and perfect and beautiful and everything else that makes up a first kiss. It left me shimmering, struggling to bring my brain down to Earth. Like any good scientist would, I took a deep breath, put my emotions in check, and started an objective analysis of the situation.

He clearly felt at least somewhat the same way about me. Dr. M – Hank – would never have reacted the way he did if he didn't have _some_ feelings for me. _How_ he felt about me, exactly, was unclear. He didn't say that he loved me, but he was happy to hear my confession, and that kiss was…intense. Really, it was far more than I had ever expected, and certainly more than I felt I had deserved. At that moment, alone in the corridor, I slowly came to accept that if nothing else ever happened again, if I went back into that lab and he never so much as batted an eye at me, I at least had that one perfect moment when his lips met mine and his strong arms wrapped around me.

As I let this logic envelop me like a cool blanket, I began to emerge from my emotional storm. Yes, indeed, there were many questions and an uncertain future. I had no idea what being discovered by Logan would mean; Hank's and my future at the school might be in jeopardy.

But I didn't have to hide anymore; not from him, not from myself. I love him, he knew it, and nothing else mattered.

I straightened myself up, wiped my eyes, dried my hands on my jeans, and attempted to smooth the wrinkles from my cotton shirt. Once I was confident I had managed to regain at least the illusion of normalcy, I made my way down the corridor to the nearest kitchenette. No longer shaking or freaking out, I breathed in the cool air of the school's conditioning system. Even with the numerous filtration and positive airflow machines, the old mansion couldn't shake the musty overtones that come with buildings that age. I found the subtle heaviness of it comforting; it was a weight of permanence that seemed to hold my feet to the stone floor.

The nearest kitchenette was only a few passages away from the lab. Not quite a full-fledged kitchen, there were a few scattered throughout the mansion complex to serve as a quick snacking point for students and X-Men on the run. I pushed on the heavy wooden door, swinging it inward, and made my way directly to the fridge. After the events of the past ten minutes, I almost wished for something stronger than soda, but I knew better than to violate school rules (though, in retrospect, I had already technically done so in the lab). I yanked open the stainless steel door, grabbed a Coke, swatted the door closed again, and plopped down on a stool along the opposite wall. A bar ran along a huge picture window that overlooked one of the many magnificent gardens around the complex; it was a perfect spot to give my vision a tentative testing.

As I took a swig of the cold, bubbly soda, I slowly flexed my vision and focused through the window to the feathery-white petal of an orchid that stood alone amid the greenery in the garden. I delved deeper into the cellular structures that were so uniform, so perfect. I had managed to keep my focus rock steady, and every so often I would pause and hold it for a few seconds, sometimes more, just to test my control. The carbon chains in a particularly interesting bit of endoplasmic reticulum had just come into perfect focus when I heard the thud of the swinging door behind me.

A half hour ago such a sudden disturbance would have sent my ability into chaos, but now I was in control. Slowly and carefully I eased my vision back further and further until I was once again looking at a perfect orchid through a leaded glass window. Normally background noise would not have warranted an interruption, but I knew the second I heard the door open who was stepping into the room. This should have been expected, really, and on some level it was. Even so, I had hoped to delay this confrontation until I had at least a little time to revel in my potential newfound romance.

"Hello, Logan," I greeted with the best attempt at solid confidence I could possibly generate.

"So…," he rumbled, leaving that little word hang in the air. I could hear him saunter over to the refrigerator. There was a sharp yank of the hinges, the clink of bottles, then a dull thud of a latch. A quick hiss of expelled carbon and I knew he had popped open the beer bottle with one of those vicious claws. Amazing how those things could be the harbingers of death or a convenient kitchen utensil. "You and Hank, huh?"

Me and Hank. My, what a simple question he made that out to be. I continued to stare at the orchid bobbing slightly in the wind. This was a question I did not know how to answer, and I did _not_ want the expression that was undoubtedly on my naïve young face to betray me.

"I guess so," was all I gave him.

"'Bout goddam time," he snorted. "That furball's had it bad for you since ya got here, Kid. Glad one of ya had the balls to start somethin'."

This was not at all what I expected to hear, and I was thankful I had not taken a sip of my Coke; it would have made for the world's best spit take all over the window. Instead I attempted to stifle a gasp at what I heard. First, that Hank had been harboring mutual feelings for me all this time. Second, that Logan had _known_ about those feelings. Third, that Logan _was glad that we "started somethin'"_. Which meant fourth, that Logan was probably – wait, no, that wasn't possible.

As if to answer my thoughts, Logan closed the distance between us in an instant. I could feel his denim-covered crotch lightly touching the area between my shoulder blades and smell the mixture of sweat, oil, tobacco, and iron that was so intoxicating and completely Wolverine. The pheromones were pouring off him in waves. A solid, calloused hand fell lightly on my left shoulder, caressed down the front of my chest and deftly delved underneath the buttons of my shirt, popping open three with ease. By the time his hard fingertips began to lightly caress my left nipple, I felt his hot breath on my right ear. I was practically panting outright at his overt sexuality, and the blood began to rush both up to my face and down to my crotch. Erotic barely began to describe the sensation to my inexperienced body.

"Ol' Blue ain't the only one had his eye on ya, ya know," he breathed. "Hank made me promise to be good. Said it had to be your idea. But I'm losing patience, Bub, and fast. Just wanted to let ya know now that the blue cat's outta the bag, sorta speak." His lips were barely touching my neck. His hot breath set every nerve he never quite touched on fire.

Then just as quickly as it began, it was over. He was back at the door, and I finally dared myself to look in his direction. The thick bulge in that worn denim was snaking prominently down his leg, and I'll be damned if he didn't have the cockiest shit-eating grin on that handsome mug of his. He knew he was hot, and certainly knew his effect on me. The burning expression in his dark, brooding eyes, however, almost betrayed something more substantial than mere animalistic lust.

"Skip the training session with me tonight, Kid. I have a feeling Dr. Beast has his own workout planned for you. Don't worry…you'll enjoy it," he winked and disappeared through the door.

"Ho-ly shit," I exclaimed once again to an empty room, "What the hell was that?"

I was stunned from the encounter. My cock was throbbing hard and could hear my heartbeat drumming in my ears. So much for regaining my composure.

So not only was Logan fine with stumbling upon Hank and I playing tonsil hockey, he wanted to a piece of the action. Never in a million years would I have dreamed this up. Hank clearly wanted to pursue something with me, and it was now apparent that Logan was interested in me, as well. _What the hell did I do to deserve this?_

It occurred to me that Hank was probably expecting me back in the lab any minute, and I was once again raging with hormones and emotion. I slugged back half the bottle of Coke and tried to resume breathing. I closed my eyes and willed myself back to sanity. My lust for Logan would have to wait; I had to deal with Hank and what was going to happen between us.

For a moment I stood in front of the metal sliding doors to the lab just outside of the sensors. I hesitated to go in, afraid that this had all been a dream and he would be professional and distant, a kindly but detached teacher once again. I didn't know if I could stand going back to the way things were. Regardless, we had work to do, and I was his teammate and student. I mustered up my courage and stepped up to the sensors. After a brief whirr and hiss, the doors slid open and I stepped through into the lab.

"Ah, you're back, my handsome young scientist," Hank grinned as he looked up from one of the control panels at my observation station. "I was afraid you might not return to me."

I smiled. Just seeing him and feeling his affection for me so openly calmed my rattled nerves.

As I walked toward him, he finished tapping in a few final parameters then turned to face me. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me. It was indescribably wonderful to be pressed tightly against his muscle-bound fur. He held the embrace for a moment then kissed me softly on the lips. I was breathless.

"So…had a discussion with Logan, did we?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in a ridiculously cute quizzical expression. He didn't wait for my answer, but instead resumed his work at the terminal.

"Um…yes…sort of," I stammered. "How did you know?"

He chuckled his deep, gentle rumble. "Besides logic, I could smell him on you. The Wolverine isn't the only one with a heightened sense of smell, my dear." He playfully tapped his nose with his forefinger and winked at me.

I hesitated a moment before I spoke. I was afraid of where I might be taking this conversation, but I also needed answers, no matter how difficult they may be.

"He…Logan…said the two of you have talked about me," I said as casually as I could.

"Logan and I have confided in one another about a great number of things, Alex, and, yes, you have been the topic on several occasions," he explained as he continued preparing the system for the test.

I stared down at the pristine white tile of the floor, as if I had to summon the question from the center of the Earth itself. It stuck hotly in my throat as I pulled it by the roots. "Are you two…," I couldn't bring myself to finish the question.

"Lovers?" he finished for me suddenly. He paused and stared out into the far reaches of the lab for a moment to consider the question. My stomach churned at what I might hear next. "Not…exactly," he explained carefully. He turned to face me, leaned back against the workstation counter and crossed his arms over his massive chest. "We care very much one another, for sure, and have often sought comfort, mental and physical, in one another. But Logan..." He took a deep breath, his great azure chest expanding like bellows, and then let it out in a measured stream of air, as if his breath would reveal some great truth that had long eluded him. "He…loves on his own terms, and I accept that. He is who his is," he shrugged. "I let Logan be Logan – no demands or expectations needed between us. It is perhaps not a conventional relationship, but it works for us."

I wasn't sure how I felt about his answer, or where that left him and me. The warmth and security I had felt moments before began to dissolve.

Hank seemed to come out of his trance abruptly as if he were struck with a sudden realization. He straightened himself up, grasped my shoulders firmly, and stared intensely into my eyes.

"I love you with everything that I am, Alex," he said resolutely. "I have since the day I set eyes on you." Those incredible blue eyes were overwhelmed with emotion; it was so far away from the logical, analytical scientist. "When I heard you say those words to me…I was caught up in the moment, amazed that you felt the same way about me." His brought his right hand up to my cheek and caressed it gently. It amazed me how such a huge, powerful palm could feel like a gentle warm blanket. I nuzzled against it instinctively. "How Logan fits into that is something we will have to work out, but I refuse to lose you now that we have so much to explore with one another."

"You won't lose me, Hank," I answered quietly, my voice choked by my efforts to strangle my tears of relief. I reached up with my left hand and brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead, then continued running my hand through his shaggy blue mane. "You're so…amazing and smart and strong and sexy. You are the greatest man in the world."

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine. That was the moment he truly opened himself up to me. He became something I never imagined – vulnerable, fragile. I did not need to see his tears to know they were there.

"It feels so good to hear you call me a man, Alex," he whispered. "Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder what I am anymore."

Once again our lips were locked. His kiss was deep, long, and slow. I savored the taste of his tongue. I was bathing in light from head to toe. Once again he left me shimmering as we finally separated.

"We have to get back to business, Alex," he reminded me gently, "But I would be honored if you would spend the evening with me. There is much for us to explore." He grinned mischievously.

"Yeah, sure…of course, Hank," I replied, returning his smile.

"Excellent. Let's meet in the back courtyard after dinner, then."

The beep of the lab's system brought us back to earth and reminded us that we still had a busy afternoon ahead.

"Right," he declared and finished his calibrations at my station. "It appears I have your viewing station optimized for you. Take a look and tell me what you think."

I stepped up beside him and check the settings. They seemed a little unconventional to me. The visual spectrum of the containment field was configured using a very narrow wavelength range and he had constructed a secondary waveform of a very high frequency alpha-band signature. This was quite different from the usual containment field.

"This is highly unusual," I declared.

"Wait until you see what Professor Xavier sent me," he smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

_Warning:__ This chapter contains elements of a homosexual nature, including language, situations, and graphic depictions. Reader discretion is advised. None of these characters are mine, and everything belongs to Marvel (or, rather, Disney now, I suppose). As always, if you have enjoyed these chapters thus far (or didn't, for that matter), please review and provide feedback. Many many thanks to all who have given feedback so far!_

_Author's Note:__My sincerest thanks to all of you who submitted reviews. Many of you took the time to offer thoughtful insights and honest critiques, both of which I appreciate immensely. As a first time fan-fiction writer, I am bound to misstep along the way, and many of you offered some very helpful direction for me. However, I do want to be honest and prepare you for the fact that this chapter will include graphic depictions of homosexual acts (with even a little bit of kink), so those of you who have enjoyed the fact that this story has not been typical "slash" fic so far might want to skip the truly naughty bits. Or not. But consider yourself warned. I value the fact that many of you you have found enjoyment in this story, and I know I risk alienating some of you when it gets, well...downright pornographic. Be that as it may, this story is a fantasy of mine that I am trying to express honestly, and that fantasy includes both the profound and the profane, as is the case in many aspects of life. That being said, what I offer here is the story as it has played out in my mind. I truly hope you take it for what it is and enjoy the journey._

What Professor Xavier had sent Hank was truly unusual. I won't get into the scientific details now, but we knew it had the potential to chart new territory in particle physics. The substance was from a small meteor that had crash landed in Brazil a few days prior. While Hank was more of a biologist and geneticist than theoretical physicist, he had taken an interest in the pursuit of the Higgs boson particle. Hank was hoping my abilities might uncover something in the molecular structure that might make it worth sending off to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. It was a task that pushed the limits of my vision as I struggled to make sense of its unusual molecular structure.

The revelations between us that morning had definitely changed things for the better in the lab. For the first time in months I was truly at ease working next to Hank. We weren't simply student and teacher, but partners in our work. I'm not going to kid myself, I knew my knowledge wasn't, and still isn't, anywhere near Hank's brilliance. I was a tool for the task, I knew that, but he made me feel like an equal as we worked together to explain what I was seeing. He was patient and kind as always, but this time neither one of us was afraid to touch, to lean in to each other to study the data on the monitors. Occasionally he would put his arm around me or I would lean my head on his shoulder. Our work might have continued on had the rumbling of my stomach not reminded me that dinner time was fast approaching. It always amazes me how hungry I get after I've used my abilities for a while. Hank didn't seem the least bit surprised, and insisted we end our lab for the day before I pushed myself into exhaustion. I reluctantly agreed, afraid to break the spell we managed to weave through our work together.

As we were cleaning up and closing down the lab for the night, I could feel my anxiety start to rise again. Hank seemed to sense it too, and the closeness we had while working together began to somehow transform into a subtle awkwardness. Suddenly we were finished with the distraction of the lab and were about to face the reality of what had happened this morning and what might happen next. Hank was quiet and methodical in his cleanup as always, but he seemed to avoid eye contact. When we had everything locked down and packed away, we stood together for a moment in front of the door.

"So, the back courtyard then?" Hank asked as he tentatively reached out for my hand.

"Um, yeah, sure," I answered as I grabbed his fingers in mine. I was suddenly shy and uncontrollably nervous.

"OK. Have a good dinner," he said warmly and kissed me gently on the lips. As if on cue, the door hissed open as we broke apart, and together we strode out into the hallway, instinctively wrapping ourselves in the familiar roles of student and teacher amidst the scurrying students.

As I made my way to the dining hall, my thoughts struggled to catch up with the day's events. I'd normally be thinking about the day's work in the lab, but I could only think of Hank and Logan and this whole surreal situation. I knew I should have been walking on sunshine now that my feelings were out and Hank was all about it, but there were too many things that I...that we...needed to figure out. It was one thing to be hopelessly lovesick, but quite another to face the reality of actually being able to do something about it. It wasn't that I was doubting my feelings for Hank - far from it - but I had no idea what to do next. Sure, I knew what my cock told me it wanted to do next, but there were a helluva lot of issues beyond sex to worry about.

I didn't know anything about Hank, really. I mean, sure, I knew everything about him as a teacher, but I really never saw him much outside the lab. Then again, I hadn't been exactly social, myself. I was so caught up in how much I loved him that I didn't think about what we might, or might not, have in common. What if we were totally incompatible? There were so many questions...

I absently grabbed my food and plopped down at the nearest open seat. I looked around the room at all of the other people...young kids, teens, adults...and realized I really didn't know many of them at all. Sure, I knew Bobby, Warren, Rogue, and Sam, and I sort of knew Colossus, but I didn't really hang out with them. Looking back on it, these were all pretty ridiculous things to worry about, but I knew nothing about dating or even getting to know someone. I spent all my time studying or training. I guess once I began to understand my sexuality and my feelings for Hank, I put everyone at an arm's length. Back then I wasn't really sure I knew _how_ to be social. As I sat there forcing lasagna into my nervous stomach, I was terrified that I would end up screwing things up with Hank. At some point my one-man anxiety party was crashed by Bobby plopping down across from me. While I certainly preferred my men a with a lot more hair and a little rougher around the edges, I will admit that Bobby is cute, if somewhat annoying at times...

"Hiya Microscope!" he chimed, using his personal little nickname for me. It used to bug me, but I suppose I had grown used to it.

"Hey Bobby," I responded absently as I toyed with the lettuce in my salad.

"So..." he started up as he popped a fork-full of pasta into his mouth, "some of us are getting together for a little b-ball in the courtyard tonight. You should join us."

"Hey, thanks, but I...have to meet with Ha-..Dr. McCoy tonight," I answered as nonchalantly as I could.

"Though you usually get the crap kicked outta you by Logan at night?" he asked with his typical smirk.

"Logan?" I said a little too quickly. _Logan...yes, there's Logan to figure out, too..._"Oh, yeah, well...Ha- Dr. McCoy and I made some...uh...discoveries... in the lab this afternoon. Professor Xavier brought a piece of a meteor that came down in Brazil and we -"

"Booooor-iiiing," he sing-song-ed sarcastically. "You need to drop the egghead routine and get a little playtime, Alex. You spend way too much time with those two...you need to hang out with the cool kids." He let a quick burst of snow from his finger to emphasize his pun.

"And no one is cooler than you, Iceman," I said, rolling my eyes at his ridiculous charm. "But this is could be really good stuff we found. We generated a lot of data, and we need to talk it over while it's still fresh in our minds"

"I swear, Microscope, you keep spending time with Beast and people are gonna talk." He raised his eyebrows in mock indignation.

"So what if they talk?" I shot back angrily. I quickly caught myself and tried to keep it casual. "I mean...I want to be a great scientist like him one day, so I have to work at it." He didn't seem like he was buying it, so I decided to try and placate him. "Tell you what, I'll try to keep it short with Dr. McCoy and catch up with you guys later on, k?"

He studied me carefully for a few beats, as if he were trying to uncover what I was hiding. He finally raised his hands in defeat. "OK, Alex, don't say I didn't try and bring you out to the real world. I think there was talk about gathering in the media room for some bad sci-fi flicks later. If you can't catch the ball game, at least drop in there to let me know your brain hasn't exploded."

I laughed a little nervously at his comment. At that moment, it actually seemed as if that might just happen. "Yeah, sure, Bobby."

"Alright, I'm outta here. Later, Microscope!" He picked up his now empty plate and trotted off.

The conversation with Bobby made me realize that my relationship with Hank was going to be a lot more complicated than just the two of us. He was a teacher, I was a student. He was older than I (which reminded me that I didn't even know how old he was), and, oh yeah, we were both guys. Was Hank 'out' to the rest of the team? The school? He was to Logan, at least. _Oh yeah...there's still Logan to deal with..._ Nobody knew I was gay, not even my parents. Not that I thought they'd have any issues with it - hell, my mom and dad were never shy about their gay and lesbian friends in the community. Still, I could just imagine it... "Hi mom and dad! I'm gay and in a relationship with my teacher!" That might not sit well...with a whole lot of people, in fact. Should we keep it a secret? Should we just be open about it? The consequences for both of us could be very bad if certain people didn't like it.

So all of these things were hammering around in my head when I got back to my room. Thankfully my new roommate, Ed, was out, so I could avoid any human interaction. Ed had arrived a few months ago. He was younger than I, around 16, and a nice enough guy, if a little brooding for me to take at times. Ed's mutation allowed him to transmute matter. He'd only just decided to call himself The Alchemist. You know...all that lead-into-gold stuff. It came from some energy inside him. He could re-arrange matter at will, but he could only make things from the materials he had; he couldn't just make something from nothing. Professor Xavier put him with me because he thought our abilities complemented each other. I could see atoms and he could manipulate them. But between his constant sulking around the mansion and my endless school and training, we didn't see each other much. That was just as well, because at the time he seemed like a kind of a messed-up kid and I was way too into myself to deal with that.

I took a shower, making sure to clean every inch of myself. I certainly didn't want to make assumptions about what might happen that night, but I at least wanted to be prepared. I honestly did not expect we would have sex, but of course I started getting neurotic about the possibility. Which of course, led me to dwell on everything that might go wrong with _that_. Am I big enough...you know...down there...and what if he didn't like me when I'm naked. I did have a great body, thanks to Logan's nearly masochistic training, but I was still so self-conscious back then. What if I was no good at sex? I knew all of the biological and anatomical components, but I had no idea as to technique,especially with another guy. It was the Internet Age, luckily, so had seen my fair share of gay sex. I was pretty sure I would like _him _naked...I spent a LOT of time thinking about that. I admit that I got raging hard under the warm spray at the thought of finally seeing what he was packing under those shorts...

By the time I finished in the bathroom, I had gotten myself under control again and set about deciding what to wear. I wanted to look hot, but not look like I was _trying_ to look hot. I had to be casual but sexy, whatever that meant. As I considered my wardrobe, I realized that I didn't even know what Hank liked. In the end I settled on a nice slim-fitting vintage t-shirt, a pair of faded camouflage cargo shorts, and sneakers. I figured it showed off my body while still seeming like I didn't care that it showed off my body.

The evening was still warm and humid as I pushed open the door to the courtyard. I felt the heat smack me like a sauna. I heard the rhythmic bouncing of the basketball and the shouts of the kids as their game was in motion. As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw the flashes of young bodies around the court. Just beyond them, Hank was leaning against the low-slung wall that separated the courtyard from the gardens beyond. His attention seemed to be on the action of the game.

He was dressed in a deep orange button-down cotton shirt that clung to every curve of his massive torso and looked stunning against his blue fur. His beige cargo shorts hugged his thick waist, revealing more than just a hint of a package, and hung just above his knees, showing off his impressive fuzzy calves. He had one knee bent, a giant, custom-sandal-clad foot resting against the wall. Hank's look was topped off by a backwards tan baseball cap. I had never seen him look so...utterly sexy and adorable. The suddenness of this revelation stopped me for a moment. It might not have seemed like a big deal to anyone else, but to me, at that moment, I was seeing a different side of a man who had always been teacher, leader, and scientist. This was, I would learn, how he always looked when he hung out "after hours", but what did I know? Like I said...I didn't get out much back then, apparently.

Hank's eyes met mine across the courtyard and I did my best not to blush when he waved and flashed that damned silly grin. I wasn't sure how to act out here in front of a bunch of mutant schoolkids scrambling around a basketball court, so I put on my best disinterested face and strolled as casually and, I had hoped, discretely as possible around the action. But, of course, I did not go unnoticed by good ol' Bobby.

"Hey, Alex!" he called out to me after passing the ball to a boy who could manipulate gravity at will. Games always followed a "no powers" rule, but there was no way his five-foot-four-inch self could've dunked that ball otherwise. Some of the others protested, but it was a passing skirmish and the game went on. Bobby ducked out of the action just as I was about to round the final corner over to Hank's wall.

"You wanna jump in?" he asked, his sweat-soaked form panting from the action of the game.

"Um, naw, I was just..." I stammered, pointing over to Hank, "meeting Dr. McCoy out here..."

Bobby glanced back at Hank, who was still focused on the game and occasionally calling out advice and encouragement to the kids on the court. "Out here? Thought you two'd be holed up in the lab like always."

"Oh, yeah...well, ya know, Ha - Dr. McCoy thought I needed some fresh air and sunlight for a change," I smiled and shrugged.

"That's for damn sure, Microscope!" he laughed and playfully smacked my shoulder. "Well, if ya get bored you can help me mop the court with theses clowns!" He said as he trotted back into the fray.

I closed the distance to Hank and stood next to him, feeling totally nervous and unsure of how to greet him in public. Luckily, he is always in perfect form and took immediate control of the situation.

"Well, well...Mr. Rieger. Fancy meeting you here," he quipped with a flash of a wink. "How is your evening so far?"

_Mother of God, he is so fucking adorable._ "Just fine, Dr. McCoy," I answered. "I believe we have an appointment?" I tried my best to copy his easy-yet-formal demeanor.

"Indeed we do, my boy," he said as he pushed himself from the wall and stood upright. "Shall we walk?" he asked as he held his hand out toward the path that led from the courtyard to the garden and the wooded grounds beyond.

I smiled and took the lead. He easily set pace beside me and within moments we had left the raucous crowd behind and were strolling in silence among the incredible flowers and plants in the perfectly-tended garden. I didn't dare look a him or I'd have thrown myself at him in unrestrained passion, choosing instead to seem fascinated by the foliage around me. We walked for a while in silence and soon the noise from the courtyard was almost inaudible. His presence next to me was solid and certain and comforted some of my anxiety. It wasn't until the path started to break into the woods that he finally spoke.

"Alex," he said simply. It took me second to realize he'd stopped. I turned and looked at him. His expression was...pained...complicated. His light-hearted demeanor just moments ago was long gone. My stomach dropped to the ground at the site of him. "Alex," he repeated, as if struggling to speak. "I owe you an apology...and an explanation. I owe you so much more, my love, but these at the very least."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"You see, after what happened today between us, I was elated. After so many years, I had never dreamed this would actually happen." He looked down at the dirt beneath us for a moment, then back up into my eyes. He stepped up to me and took my hand. "Working together in the lab after that was so perfect. I had felt, and often created, such a strange tension between us for so long, and to be so at ease in our work was heavenly."

I was again caught in his azure gaze, unsure of where this conversation was going. If things were so great, why did he look so troubled?

"Then, once that spell was broken and we were back amongst real world," he explained slowly, "I began to think clearly on the situation and what you had been going through." He paused, as if trying to see my reaction to what he was saying.

"Um...Ok, " I said carefully, trying not to betray the feeling of doom welling up inside of me. Was he going to dump me? Here? Now? After, like, five whole hours of our relationship?

"I realized, truly understood, what you had said to me this afternoon. That I had been the cause of an anxiety so profound that it affected the very nature of your mutant abilities. Your love for me, and my lack of quittance, had shaken you so completely...that I...had caused you so much..." his voice quavered for a moment, threatening to crack. He quickly regained his composure and continued. "I have to explain myself, to help you understand my own actions until now, so I might have a chance to gain some forgiveness..."

Suddenly I realized what was eating away at him. "Oh, wait, Hank, don't -"

"No," he said quickly, holding up his hand to stop me, "let me continue. Please, Alex. I want - I need - to tell you this."

I stopped protesting and let him go on.

He paused for a few beats, as if he were trying to find a place to start. Finally, he took a deep breath and continued. "The morning that Jean first brought you to me, I was so stricken by this breathtaking boy standing before me. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. My reaction to you was overwhelming and complete before I even knew what hit me. But my thoughts, my feelings, were also so totally inappropriate on so many levels. It wasn't because you were male, I have long ago come to terms with my sexuality. Rather, it was because you were so young, just a boy, and a student, no less! I was...ashamed...of how I felt about you back then."

He hung his head, then let go of my hand and started to pace back and forth across the path as he continued. "You were just on the precipice of puberty, and certainly only beginning to discover your sexuality. The very last thing I wanted to do was to interfere in any way with that processes. I had no idea if you would be homosexual or not, and I had to let you become what you were regardless of how I felt. I kept myself at a distance from you for fear of even the very hint of having any influence over you. I could not let the prejudice of my love for you stand in the way of your life. I could only hope..." he trailed off and stopped, staring into the trees for a moment to gather his thoughts. His back was to me, but I could sense the emotion from him.

"I pushed my feelings for you far away, Alex. Every moment with you was a challenge to stay professional, but I was resolute in my decision. As the years went by and you became such brilliant, handsome, capable, and attractive young man, it became more difficult to keep away from you. I started trying to pay attention to what you were doing, who you were spending time with, whether you were developing any romances, just to try and figure you out." He laughed a quick chuckle. "But you were so consumed by your work and your training, that I could not even catch a clue about you. Oh, the irony...I have uncovered some of the deepest mysteries of the mutant condition and yet I was baffled by you."

He turned to face me again. I was trying to digest what he was saying. His logic was perfect. After all, wasn't that was I was doing, too? Trying to hide my feelings for him, trying to act professional because I was afraid? But still...having feelings for me all his time and not letting on to me. Wasn't he the adult who was supposed to know how to deal with this stuff? I began to get a little angry.

His expression softened as he stared at me for a moment. "I did not notice your struggles with your abilities at first. You did a remarkable job of hiding it. I did notice that you had become distant and preoccupied, but I figured it was the stress of your constant work. Then a few days ago I saw you stumbling down the hallway and I knew that you were losing control of your vision. So much of your ability is rooted in your mind - it makes sense that psychological stress would have an impact. I wanted to talk to you about it, but you seemed to recover and I...then today. I couldn't stand by if there was a physiological problem. I had an obligation to step in and help you. Then your revelation to me and the relief and joy for us both." He smiled slightly at the memory. "But I realized this evening that in my attempt to protect you, I ended up doing that which I had fought so many years to avoid." His eyes became awash with sadness. "I am so sorry I hurt you, Alex. I am so sorry that my stubbornness and blind resolution kept me from seeing what you were going though, kept me from being there for you."

He fell silent. I stared down at the sticks and leaves of the ground trying to sort out how I felt about this. When I looked up at him, the ridiculous anger that had been brewing in my emotional, post-adolescent mind vanished. This had been just as hard for him to deal with as it had been for me. Hell, I had to respect the fact that he gave me my space to figure things out, and yeah, I wished he'd told me years ago, but he didn't know what would happen. I should have told him years ago, but was afraid, so...how can I blame him for keeping his distance?

"Aw, Jesus, Hank," I said as I threw myself into him and wrapped my arms around that insanely wide, fuzzy, blue body. "We were both scared," I whispered as I felt him wrap himself around me. We just stood there in the middle of the path holding on to one another for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes. When we finally separated, I could see the faint traces of tears in his eyes and realized my own cheeks were a bit damp.

"Look at us," he chuckled, "carrying on like this." He took off his glasses and wiped them clean on his shirt tail. After lifting them to the sky for a quick inspection, he set them back on his nose. "Now that have that out of the way, let's move on to better subjects, shall we?"

I was warmed again by his presence as he took my hand and we continued walking through the woods toward the lake. Without prompting, Hank began to open up and tell me about himself. I had no idea that his life had been full of such pain and isolation. Of course it isn't easy for any mutant, but his experience left him especially hurt. He spoke honestly about his separation from his family, of how they drifted from him with the kind of polite, non-confrontational, passive-aggressive shunning that cuts far more deeply than outright condemnation. His family, he explained, was the kind that kept up appearances, that never freely expressed emotion. They had always known Hank was different, gifted with unusual intellectual and athletic ability, and he was always a stocky hulk of a guy with enormous feet. It wasn't until an incident in college brought out his true mutant abilities that they started to fear him, to push him away.

As we came upon the shore of the lake, we settled down together on the soft, tall grass as the sun started to dip behind the ring of trees. The lake was still and clear, a sheet of placid glass. He had one giant arm draped around my shoulders and I leaned against him with my arms wrapped around his solid frame. We both stared off across the lake as he began to tell me of how he came into the next phase of his mutation. I didn't know that he hadn't always been blue and furry. He had been manipulated into becoming part of an awful experimentation program and had developed a serum that could grant someone temporary mutant abilities. When it came down to a confrontation, Hank made a choice that changed him, and his life, forever.

"So I used the serum to disguise myself and keep them from stealing my work. However, I miscalculated the time variable and waited too long to counteract the affects" he said in an oddly detached way, as if he were giving another lecture in class. "That's when all of this," he ran his hand over his fur, "happened. I had to make a choice for the greater good, and it pushed me further away from any semblance of normalcy. Even so, I do not regret my decision for a moment. The formula had to be kept out of their hands. I had dedicated my life to science and the pursuit of knowledge, not to create weapons out of people." He heaved a giant, bellow of a sigh. "I suppose that is why I have become such an advocate for mutant-human relations. I do not want others to have to feel like they cannot be a part of the world because of the gifts they have been given. I have to help show the world that mutants can live within society and work toward its betterment."

"Well, for what it's worth," I said as I stroked the rich, soft fur of his thigh, "I think you look stunning in blue, and I love a nice, hairy man."  
He turned to me and lit up a big, toothy grin. "It is worth a great deal to me, Love."

He leaned into me and we were all over one another, our tongues dueling, our hands roaming wildly over each other's body. We tumbled around in the tall grass, and at some point he ended up on top of me. He has such amazing strength that he was able to keep most of his weight off of me, almost hovering over me as I held onto him. I could feel the bulge of his hardening cock pushing against my own rising excitement. My hands slipped under his shirt and around to his back and our tongue battle continued. Somehow he was holding himself up by one hand as his other snaked under my shirt and caressed my abs. We were both panting in building passion, but I started to get nervous as to how far it would go out there where pretty much anyone could have stumbled on us.

Suddenly he stopped and I felt his weight lift off of me. He was gone. I sat up stunned as I tried to figure out what was happening.

"Try to catch me if you can!" I heard him shout as I turned in time to see him disappear into the trees.

_What the hell?_ I jumped up and took off after him.

It took my eyes a second to adjust to the relative darkness of the forest canopy. I stopped to get my bearings, but saw no sign of him. He seemingly disappeared into the forest. I was starting to get nervous and more than a little annoyed. Then I saw a heap of objects on the ground a few hundred feet away. As I approached I realized they were his sandals and baseball cap.

"BOO!" I nearly wet myself as his face appeared upside down in front of mine. His sudden appearance disoriented me. I would have been really angry, but his damned cute toothy grin disarmed me. I looked up and saw he was hanging from a tree branch from those giant feet.

"Going up!" He cried and scooped me up in one arm, lifting me as if I were weightless. In a flash he managed to right himself on the branch, deposit me on his back, and start climbing up the trunk of the tree like a mad monkey. I clung to him for dear life and tucked my head between his shoulder blades to keep away from the branches that whirred by at light speed.

Then as quick as he began, he stopped. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. We were at the top of one of the tallest, biggest trees in the area. The view was breathtaking. The treetops were painted brilliantly in hues of iridescent flames reflected from the sky. In the distance the peaks of the mansion just barely broke the horizon. It seemed like I could see for miles in the red-orange light of the setting sun. I was speechless.

"There. I thought we might need a change of perspective. I think this will do for now," he said simply as he set me down on a long, sturdy branch. I was surprised to find that the height and my precarious perch didn't bother me at all. I was quite comfortable at the top of the world with this crazy, blue, cheeky monkey.

"This is so amazing," I said breathlessly as I took in the horizon all around me. The evening sun cast a dazzling array of colors across the wisps of clouds in the dark blue sky. The only sound was a slight rustling of wind through the treetops. Even now I can recall the pure sense of peace and tranquility I felt high above the world that night.

Hank gave a contented sigh and held me tight against him, clearly as happy with our new perch as I was. He toyed idly with a leaf as we sat for a while in silence, as if afraid to break the hush that had enveloped us. He stared off into the endless horizon.

The wild passion that had engaged us only moments before had dissolved into a simple quietude that seemed oddly welcomed to me. I think that the day had been so emotionally intense for both of us that we needed a shock of natural beauty to force ourselves to just chill out. I could have spent the whole night up there, but it seemed that Hank had other plans.

"Alex," he said carefully, "I very much want to spend the night with you. Would you let me?"

That was the question I was waiting for. I knew he didn't mean spend the night as if we were two kids at a slumber party. He was talking about sex. Fucking. Getting real with this thing, and the thought thrilled and terrified me. For years I thought about what it would be like to touch him, taste him, feel him on me, in me, all over me. I wanted to scream HELL YES! But I couldn't find my voice. I was struck silent in the moment of truth. My reluctance to respond did not go unnoticed.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to pressure you. This has all been unfolding so fast. If this is too soon, I understand completely. I do not want you to feel obligated to do anything you do not want to do." I could feel him looking at me, but I was afraid to return his gaze.

"No, it's - I mean, I want to. But it's just that I - I mean, you know...haven't ever..."

"OH!" He exclaimed with undisguised surprise. "I did not realize you were..."

"Yeah."

"I see."

"Why are you surprised?" I finally turned to look at him. His expression was one of embarrassment and confusion, a combination that was rare for him. My tone was not confrontational, at last not intentionally. He seemed, however, to be taken aback by it.

"No, it's just that your so handsome, young, sexy...I figured a healthy man like yourself would surely have..."

"Well, no, I haven't. When would I have had time?" I was starting to get really ashamed to seem so inexperienced to Hank. I wanted to feel equal in some way, to at least not think about the obvious vast difference in our ages and experiences. But instead I was feeling like a child and terrified that my naivete was going to drive him away. Who wants to deal with a bumbling virgin?

"True. But you should always find time for sex. There are a lot of ways to fit in a quick..." He quickly picked up on how I was feeling and changed his tone. "Hey, it's alright, Alex. We all have to start from somewhere, right? I was about your age, actually, when I had my initiation into what two men could do together."

This sudden topic Hank's first man-sex gave me a temporary reprieve from my virgin anxiety. I wanted him to expound a bit on that subject, indeed.

"You were?" I asked, summoning every ounce of innocence I had.

He took the bait. "Oh sure. When I was in college, I put my athleticism to use with the football team. I ended up falling for a coach. He was older, handsome, built like bull, and the most gentle and patient lover anyone could have wanted. We both knew how it would be if word got out, especially back then, so we kept it very discrete. He taught me a lot about how to love another man." Hank was lost in the reverie of his thoughts for a moment. "He really had a thing for my big feet, which drove me wild. I certainly had a thing for his..." He laughed softly and pulled himself back to the present. "Anyway, I was terrified the first time we had sex. I was a clumsy boy, really, but he didn't seem to mind. Our time was brief, but wonderful, and fate set our lives on different paths. I have no idea what ever became of him. But I learned valuable lessons about what it means to love and be loved, both physically and emotionally."

"That sounds like it was a perfect beginning," I replied expectantly.

He smiled at my less-than-subtle response. "Yes, it was. And now I know that it prepared me for this moment with you. I want to show you what it means to make love to a man, Alex. The bliss and the fun and the intensity of it all. The thought of being your first man -"

"My first anything, really. Other than my hand, I mean," I grinned sheepishly.

"Yes." He returned my grin, commiserating in that common acknowledgement of two men admitting to beating off. Then his expression turned serious. "It would be an honor if you would let me show you how much I love you, how you make me feel complete, how much pleasure I can give you. Sex can be purely carnal, pure animal lust, which is fine in its own right. But when it is a manifestation of love, it reaches entirely new heights, has whole new meaning in bringing two souls together. I want to show that to you, but only in your time, and on your terms. Otherwise it would be under false pretenses, and I never want to put you in that situation." There was no denying the complete sincerity of his words, and that resolution put the last nail in the coffin of my reticence.

"Yes," I said quietly. "I have thought about jumping into the sack with you for a very long time, Hank." I looked away again at the final rays of the dying sun "I am scared, but only because I don't want to let you down. I want to be perfect for you, and I am afraid if I screw this up, it might wreck -"

"Hey, whoa, wait, Alex," he interrupted and gently turned my head to look at back at him. "You will never disappoint me. Ever. I do not care how you perform in bed. I love you, pure and simple. The rest we can work on. And trust me, we will have a lot to teach each other. As you learn what you like, I will learn as well. It doesn't matter, really, what you may have or have not done with someone else. Every man is unique, and part of the joy of a relationship is discovering one another. Let's just take it as we go and do our best, shall we?"

To this day I will never understand how he does it. Ever since we let our guard down and became open with one another, Hank has always had an instant instinct for setting me right. I could recount a thousand situations were I was on the edge of a freak-out and he would know exactly what to say to me and when to say it to pull me right back.

"OK," I smiled and nodded. "I trust you, Hank. I want to do everything with you, starting tonight. Just promise you won't laugh, OK?"

"Well, at least not when it isn't appropriate," he retorted with a wink. "So, while our treetop hideaway is idyllic, it is hardly the best place to explore the carnal desires of love, eh? What say we retire to my quarters and see what happens?"

"I think that is a fine idea, Dr. McCoy," I said with overstated mock formality. "Would you be so kind as to escort me down? Your skills with arboreal descent are undoubtedly far more adept than mine."

"I am at your service, young Master Reiger," he said as he bowed his head in regal gesture. Then, just a before, I was slung on his back in a flash. "Going down!"

"Not yet, but soon I hope!"

"Yes, we both do, don't we?" And once again I was awash in whirring branches, descending back to Earth once more.

To be honest, I was so scared and excited that I don't remember a thing about the trip back to the mansion. The next thing I remember is standing at the big, heavy oak door to Hank's room. It was strategically placed next to his lab around an alcove corner I had never noticed before. Hank could tell I was feeling anxious as the "moment of truth" approached, so he placed his hand gently on my shoulder and broke out that warm, comforting smile as he touched the door. He must have some sort of biometric recognition system, because the moment he touched the handle it swung open silently.

Nothing surprised me about Hank's quarters, really, except perhaps one thing. I knew him well enough to expect the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that dominated most of the space. The dark wood of the giant bed against the right-hand wall seemed the kind of classic masculine style that suited him. The window across from the doorway was large with just enough ornate working in the leaded panes to be interesting, but not ostentatious. Heavy solid curtains hung swagged on either side to emphasized the warm, cozy feeling of the space. No, the rich, almost British colonial feel of the room wasn't what surprised me. It was the bar hanging from the 12-foot ceiling down to about 7 feet from the floor in the center of the room that took me aback.

"I use that to relax...hanging upside down helps me think," Hank explained as he saw my reaction. "Well, I use it for other things, too, but we'll get into that later." He winked and I started to imagine how that might get interesting.

I walked further into the room and took in seemingly infinite collection of books and objects that adorned the shelves around me. I noticed a large built-in desk to my left with a laptop and stacks of paper neatly piled around it. The bed was a sprawling expanse of dark-hued quilt with piles of soft pillows at one end of the four-post frame. While I was still nervous at the impending physical encounter with him, there was something about Hank's room that made me feel comfortable and safe.

"Make yourself comfortable, Alex," he said as he kicked off his sandals and tossed his ballcap onto the desk.

I turned to face him and realized for the first time that I could not see any definite source of light. There was a perfect luminescence that seemed to come from somewhere beyond the bookcases. It cast a beautiful sheen on Hank's cobalt fur that made him seem to almost glow. Or it could have been a trick of the eye brought on by my building lust as I realized that everything I had wanted for so many years was finally mine.

There was an awkward moment when we both know why we were here, but neither one of us knew how to start. After a few seconds, Hank crossed the room to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I know this is intense for you, Alex. It is for me, too," he said softly as he ran his hand slowly up my back. The gesture was natural and started to melt my tension. "Just relax. Let me show you."

He leaned in and I was swept up in his passionate kiss. Our tongues were once again entwined and I began to get dizzy with emotion and the reality of our contact. I don't know how long we stood there and made out, but he somehow managed to get my t-shirt over my head and onto the floor. When we separated he pushed me back at arm's length and surveyed my bare torso.

I had developed quite a hairy body in the last few years, and I was just starting to grow a hint of a beard. I knew my body had been finely sculpted by training; I had every reason to be proud, but I couldn't help feeling shy and vulnerable standing before this beast of a man. Something inside me kept saying that I wasn't good enough for someone like him, someone so brilliant and strong, so skilled and patient. I felt a sea of conflicting neuroses and emotion wash over me as I stood the subject of his appraisal.

"My stars and garters, you are such a stunning man," he breathed. "You've built such a beautiful physique and you're perfectly furry. I could not have dreamed up a more amazing lover."

I felt myself grow flush with heat at his overt praise. My cock began to swell knowing that he was about to take this all the way. His hands were firm and strong against my triceps as he held me a moment longer. He slowly backed me up against the bed. I was compliant, transfixed by his infinite blue gaze. I know there are so many of these stories that talk about time standing still and having no meaning and all that, but it really felt like an eternity before I found myself seated on the soft bed staring up at him.

I came out of my trance, reached up to his wide, thick chest and slowly undid the buttons of his shirt. It slid silently off his shoulders and I was presented with the unparalleled beauty of the truly muscular, impossibly sculpted chest of a master athlete. The deep blue fur was an ocean over mountainous pecs and chiseled ripples of abs. Every muscle was so perfectly defined that not even the endless coating of hair could contain it. The elegant, brilliant scientist had given way to a bursting muscle god in a fine cobalt pelt. My hands instinctively roamed the vastness of his body before coming to rest on his two prominent, dark nipples that were begging to be caressed beneath my thumbs.

Hank let out a deep, low growl to let me know he approved of where I was touching him. His eyes were half-closed and his mouth hung slack as I pinched and tweaked those succulent nubs.

"Mmmm...yes. You are learning, my love, that there is far more to the body than just the cock," he explained as he reached up and ran his soft hands across my chest. "But that is only the beginning. Let me show you."

He gave me a gentle shove and I was lying back on the bed , staring up at the surprisingly ornate wood ceiling. My view was soon replaced by blue as he covered my body, his tongue racing around my neck. Every nerve lit up as he nibbled and licked what I soon discovered were very sensitive areas above my collar bone. I wrapped myself around his rock body and traced the road map of muscle on his back as I whimpered from sheer delight. My cock was throbbing against the fabric of my shorts as I felt him thrust gently but insistently against me with his huge, steely bulge.

His mouth travelled across my chest as he traced my pecs with this tongue. I barely stifled a cry when he bit down gently on my nipple and sent a bolt of electricity to my crotch. He seemed to know just how much pressure exert with his canine teeth to drive me insane. My brain could barely keep up with the sensations as he continued his journey down my stomach, pausing only to jab his tongue into my navel. I was panting under his ministrations. I arched my aching erection against the nape of his neck as I became impatient for release. But he had other plans.

"You see, my love, how much more there can be? You cannot focus on just the cock if you want to truly enjoy a man. I know you want me to get to this," he said as he massaged my cock through my shorts with his giant paw. "But there's more to do." He gave a wicked grin as he stood up.

The swelling in his shorts was breathtaking and I reached up to him, eager to strip away the fabric that kept me from his prize. He batted my hand away playfully wagged his finger in admonishment. I was frustrated and a bit puzzled as he reached down for my sneakered foot and raised it up to his chest.

"As I said, sex is about all of the senses. Touch, certainly, but also scent. To get the true essence means to embrace every part of you and discover all of your body."

He deftly untied my shoe, then pressed his nose into the space between it and my sock and inhaled deeply as he slid it off my foot. I heard the sneaker thump to floor and felt him press my warm, soft socked foot to his face. He began to gently nibble and suck on the sole and up to my toes. As I looked up at this I realized it was the most surprisingly intimate and erotic thing I could imagine. The sensation of his mouth through my sock was subtle, soft pressure that went straight to my dick, which started drooling. I heard myself moan in appreciation.

Hank tucked his fingers in the top of my sock and peeled it away, leaving my bare foot at his mercy. Now, I know intellectually that the foot contains many nerve bundles that can be quite sensitive. Nothing, however, prepared me for the onslaught of intensity as he rubbed his furry face across my bare sole. This time I did give a yelp and started to squirm as my brain short circuited. Hank held by foot firm as he dragged his hot, wet, rough tongue from my heal up to the ball. I nearly lost my mind when he engulfed my big toe and assaulted it with slurping attacks. He methodically worked over each toe, taking his merciless time and sending me into thrashing fits of unbridled ecstasy. I was so lost in the sensations that I hadn't even noticed that he'd exposed my other foot until he began doubling his efforts to encompass both soles and all ten toes seemingly at once.

I honestly don't know how long his worshiping of my feet went on, but when he decided I had had enough I was a panting ball of pure lust on that bed. My brain was struggling to come down to Earth and I could see his impossibly mischievous grin beaming down at me between my upturned feet. I was in shock and dangerously on the edge of blowing my wad in my shorts. I had never been so hard in my life.

"See what I mean? Bet you didn't realize what a delicious treat it is to explore the male foot. My old coach taught me that trick. Now, I think you deserve some relief..." With that he popped the button on my shorts and had them off in a magical display of his dexterity.

My cock stood up at a solid angle above my belly. I am not huge by any means, but it is a respectable cut seven or so inches with a nice thickness. Hank, however, must have been duly satisfied because his expression changed to one of pure sexual lust. I began to see the animal in him creep to the surface. That same killer instinct I had seen on the battlefield was emerging as undisguised passion and I was suddenly aware of being his prey. I waited breathlessly for his next move.

With a long, low, almost menacing growl he dove into my lap. He started slathering up my inner thighs, then set about on my balls, taking first one then the other into his hungry mouth. Once again I turned to jelly under his onslaught as my cock pumped out a stream of precum onto my stomach. He worked madly yet methodically up to the base of my cock, all the while rumbling and groaning in a deep tone that vibrated through my whole body. His huge mitts climbed up my chest to work my nipples over as he finally enveloped my dick in his impossibly hot, velvety soft mouth.

I cried out against new, intense sensations as he seemed to suck right down to my bones. He worked my cock up and down with maddening slowness. I began to buck back up against him, demanding release. Hank refused to relent as he proceeded to give me me greatest blowjob in the history of sex. Up and down, back and forth he worked me over. His hands were a blur of activity over my chest, then down to cup, caress, and tug on my aching nuts. What he had done to my feet were just a fraction of what he was doing to my cock, and the combination of his attentions finally drove my body over the edge. My mind dipped and bobbed as my universe exploded from the end of my dick. I grabbed his head and plunged deep into his throat as I unloaded a lifetime of cum down his gullet.

That orgasm seemed to last years, but when I finally came down I saw Hank looking up and me and licking his lips with the satisfaction of a lion after the kill. Traces of my load were milky white specks on his handsome blue mug. To this day that remains my favorite vision of him in my mind's eye.

"Holy fucking shit, Hank. That was..." I panted. "That was...beyond amazing."

He smiled at my obvious satisfaction. "See what I mean? When you take the time to explore and build the senses, the payoff is perfection. You are, I might say, amazingly delicious from head to toe." He giggled and seemed once again like a precocious child with a new toy.

"Well..." I said between gulps of air "You certainly know how to feast."

Hank righted himself and I could see that he obviously needed relief himself. His cock was an obscene hulk beneath his shorts and a wet spot was starting to spread from where the head pressed urgently against the fabric. I had recovered my senses enough to know that I needed to continue my lesson. I felt once again like an eager student.

I sat up on the bed and pressed the palm of my hand against his bulge. He hugged my head against his hard, furry belly and I inhaled the fresh, musky scent that I would forever know as Hank. One hand reached around to grasp his thick, muscled ass as the other unclasped his belt, popped the button, and pulled down the zipper. His shorts and boxers slid down over his tree-trunk thighs. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside, finally revealing his glory to me.

Hank's cock is nothing short of perfect. It isn't ridiculously huge, just a nice eight or so inches and very thick around with a beautifully deep blue sheath of skin that just barely covers the bulbous head. His balls are heavy, pendulous orbs hanging loose in a gently-furred sack. I held them, feeling their heavy weight in my palm. He was practically purring, and I know he was just as eager as I had been to blow his load, but he patiently allowed me to explore him. I traced a finger up his throbbing shaft and felt him shudder as I dipped my fingertip in the wet opening of his foreskin. I brought my finger to my lips and tasted the wonderful sweetness of his nectar. My hunger for him surged full force at that first taste.

I wasn't entirely sure where to start, but decided instead of diving head first over his luscious rod I would follow his example. With me seated on the bed and him standing before me I was at the perfect height to bury my nose under his ballsack and inhale his heady, masculine essence. My tongue finally tasted his flesh as I worked from under his balls to out over his sack. I slurped his nuts, delighting in the slightly salty, fleshy taste that was pure man. I was drunk with the flavor and continued to devour his genitals, finally working to the root of where his thick shaft met his rock-hard body. Hank was rubbing my head and muttering encouragement as I tried to get my tongue around the base. I gave up and satisfied myself with coating his shaft in my saliva, taking in his scent and taste together in a collection of sensations almost as powerful as Hank's blowjob.

If I had held on to any reservations about my sexuality, they would have been long forgotten. With my head buried in his crotch, I was totally at home. Suckling up his cock was the most natural and perfect feeling in the world. When I got to the top of his massive spear, I paused to look at the throbbing head in its hood of skin. Because I was circumcised and never even touched another cock, let alone one that was uncut, I was a little unsure of how to attack it. However, my knowledge of anatomy kicked in and I was fairly certain of what would please Hank.

I was absolutely right as I drove my tongue between his foreskin and the head and swirled it around, taking in the incredible flavors that lay beneath. Hank grabbed my head and let out an expletive to let me know I was on track. I suddenly understood the amazing feeling of giving someone such intense pleasure. I was in control and could show him how much I desired him through my power to make him feel incredible.

Any hesitation or anxiety I felt about performing dissolved as I opened my mouth and took him inside me. Nothing can describe the sheer joy in feeling that skin peel back and that drooling, thick head settle on my tongue. I became instantly aware of my teeth as his thickness slid into my mouth, but I figured it out and dove down. Unfortunately, I was a bit too eager and gagged as the head hit the back of my throat.

"Easy, my eager lover," he chuckled softly, "Your mouth feel indescribably wonderful, but you need to take your time. Be gentle and easy until you get used to it. Relax and open your throat."

He was a gentle and patient teacher as I administered my first head job. I retreated back up the shaft and remembered what he had done to me. I tried my best to emulate his action, swirling my tongue over and around the head and shaft. He grunted like an animal and fought against his urge to pound my throat. I worked my way slowly back down, taking my time to get used to him before I took it deeper down my throat. Soon I had him all the way, my nose buried in his wiry, blue bush. The feeling of him filling my mouth and the sweet smell of his body was intoxicating. Hank was obviously happy with it, as well.

"Oh fuck yeah, boy. Got my whole cock down your throat. It's so incredible to see your handsome face full of my dick. Suck my cock, now, let me feed you my load, boy!"

His sudden dirty talk was both shocking and erotic. I realized that sex brought out the animal nature that he otherwise suppressed. He was, in a way, devolving to his basest desires. A beast of pure lust with the desire to release his seed. I was his vessel, his outlet for pleasure and unabashed fervor. Even so, he was in control and carefully pressed me on as I suckled and savored his delicious cock. He began to thrust in and out of my mouth, grunting and growling obscenities in his subwoofer voice. I grasped his ass with both hands, feeling the massive muscles flex as we moved together and apart in perfect rhythm. I wanted to blow him forever, but all good things must come to an end.

I could feel his urgency grow as his cock started to throb and vibrate in my mouth. I was slobbery and sloppy as I slurped away, increasing my suction and working my tongue frantically to drive him home. I felt his balls pull up against my chin as he let out a roar and rammed his cock down my throat. Wave upon wave of semen rocketed against the back of my mouth and I fought to swallow to keep up with the flow. The taste was more than I could imagine - salty, sweet, nutty, hot, and a little bitter - a unique flavor to him that hooked me for life. Hank seemed to shoot on and on until he finally relaxed his grip on my head, panting with satisfied effort. I felt him begin to deflate and I reluctantly released him from my mouth. His cock flopped against his balls, wet and spent, but still a work of art. I couldn't resit the urge to give his entire package one last lick. I looked up at him expectantly and was met with an unbelievably content look of absolute love.

"Oh my. You have learned very well, love," he panted, his giant barrel chest heaving. "That was exceedingly skilled for your first time."

I smiled back up at him. "Well, I just tried to copy what you did to me, so I apparently had an excellent teacher."

He laughed and launched himself down onto me, toppling us both back onto the bed. We made out and rolled around, bathed in the afterglow of mind-blowing orgasms. Hank and I were like teenagers, playfully tickling, nibbling, and fondling one another. Soon, however, our play got more serious as our passion began to rebuild. He was hovering over me, holding my arms back over my head and burying his face in my armpit, licking and slobbering up my sweat and breathing in my scents. Our pricks were both at full mast and ready to go again.

Hank managed to flip me over and I felt his hardness rub in the cleft of my ass as he nuzzled and licked my ears and neck. He bathed my back with his tongue as he worked downward. I felt his hot breath against my ass and I knew where he was headed. I was both nervous and aching for it as I arched my buns up to his face. He spread my firm glutes and dove his face in. Once again I was rocked with new sensations as his tongue dodged and swirled around my virgin hole. He was an expert rimmer, driving in, out and around my pucker. I was bucking against him, trying to drive him deeper into me.

After he sensed my ass start to yield to him, I felt him carefully begin to insert a finger, opening my ass up to him. At first the intrusion was uncomfortable, but Hank was as patient as always and soon had me wriggling against his digit as he found my prostate. I understood the physiology of it, but my mind only understood that absolute shock of pleasure as he massaged and groped my hot button. Hank added a second, then gradually a third fat finger into me as I started to ride back against him. He had me panting and moaning with the new discovery of the pleasure he was giving me. When he stopped I had no hesitation or fear. I wanted Hank to fuck me.

"Your ass is so perfect and delicious, Alex," he panted in my ear. His erection was pressed against my moist and pliant asshole and his heavy, furry weight caressed my back. "I want to be inside you. I want to make love to you and be as close as two humans can be. Will you let me, my love?" His breath was hot, quick, and thick with need.

I was a little taken aback that he got me clearly worked up for a fuck but was still a gentleman enough to ask permission. I found it endearing and sexy. "Fuck me Hank. I need you inside me."

He reached over to something beside the bed, then sat up on the back of my thighs. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I heard the pop of a cap opening and had a pretty good idea what was happening.

"This is a special lube that I formulated myself. It is stays slick and will enhance your pleasure while minimizing discomfort."

"I trust you completely Hank," I answered. And I meant it. I knew Hank would never hurt me.

Hank's fingers gently massaged the fluid around my hole, working his fingers in and around to coat it. If felt cold at first, then he had me purring and pushing back against his slippery warm fingers. I could hear him give his thick cock a good coating, then he was back on top of me, his breath on my ear.

"I promise to go slow, my love. Just relax and push out against me."

I felt the blunt head against my opening, and I fought against the instinct to clamp shut. He prodded slowly, gently pressing the head until it popped past my ring. There was an initial jolt at the invasion, but the pain dissipated as the lube did its job. Ever so slowly Hank pressed down into me as inch by inch he filled me up. The head grazed over my prostate and I let out a long, low moan as the spark shot through my cock. Soon Hank's full length was in my ass and his balls rested heavily against mine. The sensation of being so full of the man I love was beyond words. Hank and I were fully joined, one man-beast of writhing passion.

"Oh you feel so incredible, Alex. You're so tight and smooth, like I'm inside a velvet glove. I am so complete being joined with you like this," he whispered with such emotional intensity. This had gone beyond mere instinctual lust into something far greater, far stronger that united us. It is hard to describe, but that first moment his cock was embedded in me was the moment our union was made total, when we became whole.

Hank could not hold off his lust too long, however, and he began the slow pullback that signaled the beginning of the ride. Carefully he slid out until just the head remained, then he pressed back again, letting me get used to him in increments. Soon I opened up completely to him and he felt comfortable to finally give in a little to his urgent need and he began to thrust against my prostate. With each stab into me, his cock delivered pleasure through my entire body. His breath was quick and heavy as he rocked in and out of my young, tight ass. I began to crave him with each movement and worked in harmony with his motion. I learned when to tighten my ass and when to push back, which served to fuel his fire.

After just a few minutes Hank needed to get in a better position. Somehow he managed to flip me over on my back while staying firmly lodged inside me. We were now face to face. I wrapped my legs around his wide waste and pulled his mouth down to mine. Our grunts mixed in each other's mouth as he began to piston his cock in and out my aching hole. I reached up and grabbed his chest, kneading his pulsing pecs and thumbing his nubs. This drove him wild and I knew he was about to let loose. He sat up grabbed my legs over his shoulders. His eyes were uncontrolled lasers of heat as he gave in to his instincts. I may have been a virgin, but the harder he fucked me the more I begged for it. We were both drenched with exertion.

My cock was bouncing around with the force of his fucking. I was afraid to touch it for fear of shooting off too soon. The wave was taking me beyond the limits of pleasure, and just when I thought it could not get more intense, Hank grabbed my ankles and began attacking my feet with his tongue. Between the intense beating against my prostate and the mind-shattering feeling from my feet, I knew it was over. Within moments I felt my load burst from my balls and race up my shaft. The feeling was so intense that I couldn't even cry out as ropes of jizz coated my torso and even managed to splash up against Hank's blue belly. The feeling of my ass contracting around his cock as I shot was it for him and he buried his face in my feet as he let loose an ear-splitting roar and drenched the inside of my ass with his burning seed. We rode our our orgasms together as Hank continued to fill me with his cum. At last the wave passed and Hank collapsed onto me, exhausted with spent fury.

I slowly drifted down again and became aware of Hank's beautiful sure weight on top of me. I wrapped myself around him and tried to hold his cock prisoner in my ass. Hank heaved and huffed in rapture as he caressed my hair and kissed my neck gently. Nothing could have prepared me for the absolute bliss of being made love to by a master. This man was beyond my expectations and I began to grasp the reality that he actually loved me, that part of him, his seed, was inside me, and that moment was only the beginning. I was overcome by the emotion of that moment, and this time I lacked the strength to hold back the tears.

"Hey, you alright?" Hank said softly as he realized I was crying.

"I cannot imagine being more right than I am now," I said simply.

My emotion was contagious and Hank began to succumb to his own feelings. He began to weep softly with me as he caressed my face. It was a perfect moment between two people who were suddenly faced with the true depth of their love. I know that sounds cliche or trite, but that was the real moment when our union was unquestioned, uncontrollable, and absolute. I knew that I would love Hank until the day I died, come what may.

"I love you so much, Hank," I said finally as I started into his soul.

"I have never hoped in my life that I would be so fortunate as to find you in my life, Alex, let alone in my bed. I love you beyond words," he answered and kissed me with a simple, pure, honest kiss that I will never forget.

We knew we couldn't lay like that forever, no matter how much we wanted to, and we eventually pried ourselves apart. I mean quite literally pried as the load I deposited all over my chest was now entangled in his fur. We agreed that a shower was in order before we went to sleep and we stepped through a door in the far wall that I hadn't before noticed into a bright, clean, large bathroom.

The room was essentially a wet room, tiled entirely around with a rain shower in the ceiling and a drain in the center of the room. Hank waved his hands at a sensor in a particular way and the shower rained down water at the perfect temperature. Soon we were sufficiently wetted down and he broke out some soap and shampoo.

My ass felt a bit sore, but it was a pleasant kind or soreness, like the day after a good workout. I felt an emptiness without Hank inside me, but completely satisfied that he had been there. Hank filled his giant paws with soap and began to gently and methodically wash me down, starting from the top of my head down to my feet, which he lovingly caressed and massaged clean. I felt pampered beyond words under his touch.

Being a man of great fur, Hank's body was better suited for shampoo than soap, and I was eager to show him the same tenderness and care in cleaning. Washing Hank is still one of may absolute favorite non-sexual things to do (though it has gotten sexual, but that's another story). That first night when I began to get my hands all over his body, scrubbing and soothing his massive muscles, was a new discovery of pleasure. I loved lathering up his crazy wonderful hair, playfully giving him a foamy afro and generally acting like a kid. Stroking and massaging his chest is pure joy for me, as is exploring the crevices of his back and down to his stunning ass. I ran my hands between his buns, brushing over his his hidden pucker, which elicited a nice long moan. I paid special attention to his cock and balls, making sure to pull back his foreskin and wash over this head. He began to swell under my touch, but we both knew we were done with that kind of play tonight. I worked down his enormous thighs, over his bulging calves, and finally down to his giant feet.

To be honest, I had always been fascinated by Hank's huge feet, but I never really thought much about them or any man's feet in a sexual way. After what he did to me that night, however, I was awakened to how sensual they can be. He lifted one to me and I ran my hands over the strong arch, the long, muscled toes, and over the surprisingly soft soles. After rinsing the one, he shifted to the other and I repeated the process. Once that one was clean and rinsed, I held it a moment and appreciated it's strength, it's heaviness. and yes, it's beauty. Everything about Hank is beautiful to me. I bent down and kissed across the top of his foot, then have each toe a kiss before setting it back down again. Perhaps, I thought then, I might explore that more in the future. Hank smiled at the gestured and lifted me back to up to his mouth. We made out a bit under the soothing, gentle spray, holding and caressing our wet bodies. Finally, Hank shut off the spray and we proceeded to dry off with giant, soft towels he produced from a cupboard. And yes, drying Hank thoroughly is a bit of a task, but he does have specially built set of dryers in the wall to help the process. His is, after all, a scientist.

We settled easily into bed together. I was the first time I'd ever slept with another person. Hank curled himself around me and I settled my head on his chest, burying in the soft, sweet comfort of his fur. He rumbled a goodnight and kissed the top of my head. As I drifted off to sleep, my final thought was how this was the most perfect moment in my life and that, no matter what the days ahead would bring, I had this one perfect night to hold onto forever.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thank you so much to everyone who has kept reading and reviewing. I know these updates come slow. I appreciate your patience! Once again, this chapter involves graphic depictions of sex between men. If this does not appeal to or interest you, consider yourself warned._

Chapter 6

The next morning, as the fog of sleep began to clear, I had a momentary bit of disorientation. In my time with the X-Men since, I've gotten quite used to waking up in strange places. Back then I had pretty much only slept in my own bed at the mansion. Soon I regained my senses and my vision was filled with a soft, blue haze as I realized I was cuddled tightly against the glorious man who had made love to me the night before. I was nestled against the giant expanse of his back and I could feel the mountainous rise and fall of his steady slumber. My face was buried against his shoulder and I began to realize I was spooning him, my arm wound with his and our hands loosely clasped. The sensation of being naked head to toe against Hank's incredibly soft fur is indescribably glorious. It is my favorite place to be.

The events of the previous day began to drift into my mind. Even though the evidence was lightly snoring right next to me, I still couldn't believe I had finally made love with Hank. The dull ache in my ass was a reminder that I was no longer a virgin in any sense of the word. It was not a bad ache at all. It was like the soreness after a workout…satisfying, content. Being filled by Hank, having the kind of connectedness that can only come from such intercourse, had given me a deep sense of peace. All my neurosis and anxiety of the past years seemed so distant in those moments, like a dream you remember having but can't exactly understand. Hank so completely filled my heart, so totally overtook me, that I felt fearless, perfect, and complete. It made me think of one of my favorite songs:

_They__will__see__us__waving__from__such__great__heights._

_ "Come down now," they'll say._

_ But everything looks perfect from far away._

_ "Come down now,"_

_ But we'll stay._

As I basked in those warm, fuzzy thoughts, my body began to respond to the warm, fuzzy giant against me. The feeling of his hard, muscular, furry ass against my cock turned my normal morning wood into a raging, dripping beast of its own. I couldn't help but rub a steady rhythm in the firm trough of his crack. My sex began to grow insistent. I knew he wasn't awake and I shouldn't be bothering him, but my hand seemed to have its own ideas as it rubbed the ridges of his abs on a downward track. I realized that my other arm was stretched out underneath his shoulder and along his own massive limb and I grabbed his outstretched hand in mine as I pressed my whole body against him. I was like a tomcat in heat as I tried to get every part of me touching this thick, hairy beast in my clutches. Even my feet were luxuriating in the soft soles of his, my toes reveling in the warmth of those giants.

Well, I suppose when a horny and embarrassingly insistent young man gets the notion to attack you in your bed, you can't be expected to stay asleep for long. Hank began to stir, his body responding to mine with a gentle grinding. My hand, which had been fascinated by the curves and ridges of his rock-hard stomach, soon found itself nudged by the tip of a rock-hard cock. I gently grasped the smooth foreskin and wrapped around the incredibly thick shaft. As I measured its girth with my fingers I was amazed it had fit in my ass. Everything about Hank was strong and thick, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Mmmmm…If this is a dream, then I want to sleep for a thousand years," Hank growled drowsily as he pushed his ass further against my hard-on. This drove the head of my dick between his abundant buns and up against the soft firmness of his pucker. I had the intense desire to fuck the hell out of this beautiful beast.

The realization that my hormones had driven Hank from slumber suddenly overtook me and I began to feel a bit ashamed of my out-of-control adolescent desires.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Hank. It's just…you feel so fucking good," I moaned as my hand began to slide his foreskin back over his wide cock head.

"Sorry? Oh baby…There's no other way on earth that I'd rather wake up!" He said as he started to gently kiss my forearm. "And I think you have a rather clear idea of where you'd like to take this." He chuckled as he flexed his ass around the shaft of my dick.

"Well…" I whispered in his ear, "the thought had occurred to me. I mean…if you want to, that is." I had no idea of Hank ever bottomed before. I knew that some guys were strict tops, and he sure as hell knew how to top. As if I thought it might convince him, I began to nibble gently on is earlobe.

"Oh I most definitely want to feel you inside me, my love," he responded as he turned his head to kiss me. Our tongues intertwined as I began to press eagerly against the ring of his asshole. I fondled his ample shaft and started to wrap my feet around his as our grinding began to get more intense. The feel of his fur wriggling against my bare skin was almost more than I could bear.

He stopped and managed to deftly turn himself around so we were face-to-face. This removed my cock from the delightful confines of his ass and I could not disguise my disappointment. Hank's face lit up as he wrapped his arms around me, our cocks pressed together, and began to lick the nape of my neck. This sensation flooded my brain with intense pleasure and I realized he had quickly discovered yet another of my hot spots. I was putty against him.

"Now, now, my boy," he gently chided between licks, "we are in no rush. I want you to enjoy me before you ravage my ass."

I think my response was something like "Aarrhhhlllrrgghhhoooohhhh yeaaaahhh" as he lightly nipped the fiery nerves of my throat. Our cocks both dripping wet as they battled down below. His nimble feet began to caress up the back of my legs as his body seemed to swallow me up. I felt like all of the bones in my body liquefied in his arms…well, except one "bone".

He stopped his merciless attack on my neck and I could feel his gaze upon me. I opened my eyes and found myself engulfed in the blue expanse of him. I flexed my vision and zoomed in on his eyes. The perfect, flawless geometry of color was breathtaking. Usually people have slight variations and imperfections in the coloration of their iris, but his was completely uniform, a deep aqua sea created by his mutation. What I saw was beyond physical, however.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and that might be true. All I know is at that moment I could see the depth of his feeling, the truth of his expression. The loneliness, the isolation of his history, was slowly being devoured by another feeling, something that was beyond his ability to express. In it I could see my own truth, a binding to him that wasn't about waveforms or atoms or molecular structures. This was the first time my vision could sense something more than scientific particles. This was…much deeper.

"I love you," he breathed, and pressed his lips against me.

His tongue dove into my mouth and I sucked it in like a starving pup. He rolled back and pulled me on top of him. I was my turn to assault his body, and I dove down his neck, savoring the taste of his fur on my tongue. I found the skin beneath and clasped my jaw gently around his throat, bouncing the tip of my tongue against the sensitive spots. He cried out in pleasure and started to buck against the sensation.

I grabbed his hands and raised them above his head. I remembered what he had told me about including all of the senses, so I buried my face in his fuzzy pits and inhaled his scent. My head was dizzy with the pheromones of his musk and I instinctively lapped and bit his fur. He began to purr and writhe beneath me. I switched to his other pit and did the same, eagerly taking in the smells I knew would be unique to Hank. I was drunk on his aroma and became a beast of my own as I attacked his body.

I found his thick knobby nipples that topped his mountainous pecs and chewed lightly on their rubbery goodness. This sent Hank into a frenzy as a massive paw came down on the back of my head and pressed my face tighter against his chest. His cock was pulsing against me, and I was afraid I'd set him off already. I chewed on this other tit until his purring started into a long moan.

"Oooooh yeah, boy, you are learning…that's so good," he whimpered.

His dick was leaking like a fountainhead, and I wanted some of that juice. I dove down lower until the tip was bouncing insistently against my chin. I scraped my goatee against the sensitive head emerging from the sheath of his foreskin. He practically jumped out of his skin at the feeling and I thought for a second he was going to blow. I ran my tongue under between the skin and the head, scooping up the delicious flavors of his manhood. Hank was huffing and cursing silently as he tried to cram his cock into my mouth. His massive balls were hanging in my palm and I gently rolled them around as I engulfed his amazing, thick, solid cock in my throat.

"Oh gooooooood, yeah…suck me, Alex," he cried as he practically lifted us both off the bed with his incredible strength.

I was still a novice cocksucker, but I managed to relax and remember what he taught me the night before. I peeled the skin back with my tongue and sucked the head into my gullet. Slowly he sank into my face and I soon had my chin on his balls and inhaled the mind-blowing musk of his crotch. I back off again slowly until just the head was between my lips and worked my tongue all over the wet, oozing tip. I had actually read up on fellatio techniques on the Internet a while back and, with my usual scholarly devotion, carefully applied every trick. This mighty, powerful man was completely in my power, his head thrown back and his eyes glazed with ecstasy.

That's not to say he wasn't busy himself. Hank's feet were incredibly agile and my position placed my own throbbing member in a very strategic place. He soon had me between his soles and was working an amazing magic with those incredible toes. Up to the head and down to my balls they went, caressing and pumping me into another world. They were like little men of their own, worshiping and exploring every part of my cock. I was soon thrusting around them, ready to coat them with my load.

As our tempo increased, I realized that as much I craved Hank's cum down my throat, I wanted to extract it in a different way. At the zenith of our passion, I released his member from my mouth and began to work on his balls. I took one, then the other, bathing them in spit. Hank understood where I wanted to go. His feet let go of my dick and he raised his tree-trunk legs into the air. I was once again in new territory as I began my journey down.

My tongue traced underneath his sack as his ass rose up to meet me. I took a moment to take in this site. Hank's ass was almost like a gorilla's…wide, thick, and unbelievably muscular. That's how he's able to make such impossible leaps into the air. He was almost bent in half with no effort and his dark purple pucker shown bright and smooth within the azure forest of his ass. It was amazing. I grabbed those meaty cheeks and, with no hesitation, dove in and lapped at his delicious rosebud.

"Uggghhhh…don't stop, Alex...so fucking good," Hank said as he raised his ass further against my face.

I licked and sucked on his ass for what seemed like ages. I couldn't get enough as I drove my tongue into his hole. He was wiggling and grinding against me trying to get more of my tongue. I began to dig gently with first one, then two fingers as I opened him up. He was so hot and soft inside as my digits dipped into his chute. When my fingertips hit his prostate his cock jumped and he started to buck his hips. Soon I realized neither one of us could take much more of this. Hank's jaw was slack and he was panting in heat. It was time to top the beast.

I had spotted where Hank's special lube had landed the night before, and I managed to quickly scoop it up. In no time I had my throbbing dick slicked up. Hank looked up at me with an animalistic lust that would have been scary if it hadn't been so damn sexy. Gone was the lab-coat scientist…he was a man who needed to be fucked.

"Ohhhhh fuuuuuccck," we cried simultaneously as I penetrated him.

It was all I could do not to lose my load as I pushed the head of my dick into his ass. Hank's anus sucked up my cock eagerly and I was soon balls deep in this giant blue beauty. The feeling of his guts wrapped around me was beyond anything I could have imagined. It was hot, wet, tight, and slick. I had to control myself and remember to hang on to my wad as long as I could. I fought the urge to pummel him and instead probed with long, achingly slow strokes. I felt the head hit the firm nub of his prostate and I aimed every deliberate intake to drag across it. My teacher had taught me anatomy quite well and I tried to hit Hank's button with every stroke.

"Hank…your ass is so amazing…I…oh god," I panted as my words soon drifted into unintelligible groaning.

"Oh yeah, boy, you're hitting it…oh shit…," Hank growled as he started to work his ass back against my thrusts. His athleticism soon made me lose track of who was doing the actual fucking. He was up, down, back and forth with each stroke and soon I could not stand such a slow grind. My need was building and so was the force of my plunging dick.

Soon Hank as nearly bent in half, the tip of his glorious cock so delightfully close to his lips. Of course it dawned on me in my sexual haze that he could very easily suck himself, so I put just enough pressure on his hips to let him know what I was thinking. Hank soon caught on and in one fell swoop he slurped up the head of his own dick. With each thrust I drove him in and out of his own mouth. I knew with my cock in his ass and his own filling his mouth, Hank was in heaven.

This position also put his feet right in my sights, and I remembered what he had done to me when he was the top. His furry paws were exotic and beautiful. I dragged my tongue up one sensational sole. Hank's whole body shivered at the feeling and his ass clamped down hard on my cock, so I stepped up my foot worship. I bathed both of his massive, soft soles and sucked on his fuzzy toes. The effect was incredible. Hank was going insane, moaning wildly and sucking furiously on his cock. I soon started to love sucking on his toes, driving my tongue between them as I drove my cock deeper and harder into his ass. I would press one foot against my cheek as I worked on the other with my lips and tongue, then I'd switch up. I'd never imagined such as scene before but it was beyond amazing.

Between my foot work, my cock's assault on his prostate, and his own oral ministrations, it became too much for Hank. He practically screamed around his cock as I saw his shaft pulse and felt the vibrations of his orgasm inside his ass. His balls drew up tight and his cock swelled even thicker as it began to pump cum into his mouth.

My fucking was frenzied as I watched him unload. The wave that had been building in my balls began to crash through me. With one final thrust I buried deep into him and bit down on the ball of his right foot. The cum seemed to flow from every part of my body, out the head of my cock, and far up into Hank. I was crying out in some strange language as my brain short-circuited with pleasure. It seemed like I'd never stop washing his guts with my jism as my cock was milked by the strength of his ass.

"Don't swallow!" I managed to say as I crashed down on top of him and drove my tongue into his mouth. Together we shared his sweet, tangy, delicious load in a deep kiss.

"Oh man," I panted as we broke our wet, messy lips apart. "That was…oh man…"

"It…indeed," was all Hank could manage to respond as he came down to earth. "So…very…wow."

We both smiled stupidly and burst out laughing at the sheer joy of our union and our incoherence as a result. My first experience inside another man, inside the man I loved most in the world, left me awash in bliss and contentment. Any performance anxiety I had harbored before vanished as I realized my sexual instincts were good enough to leave Hank clearly satisfied. That didn't stop me from seeking his approval, however.

"So, did I do alright, then?" I asked sheepishly as I felt my deflated cock slip from the warm, wet confines of him.

Hank looked at me as if I'd grown a second head on my shoulders. After a moment he smiled at my youthful insecurity and caressed my head with his massive paw.

"Alex, you were spectacular. I wanted to just let you go and follow your desires and you showed me passion, imagination, and generosity. Getting me to suck my own cock was fantastic. I'll admit I've done that on my own a time or two…well, maybe more than that," he admitted awkwardly. "And what you did to my feet! Oh, that was excellent!" He giggled and rolled his eyes in glee. "Sex should be about exploring what you and your partner like," he explained as he wrapped his huge arms around me and stroked my back. "You'll learn new things about yourself and your partner if you're willing to be open to adventure. Some people like routine when it comes to sex, but I think it's far more fun to discover new pleasures."

Hank is ever the teacher, and I was thankful for his praise. Soon we realized that two romps in the sack left us both starving. We got cleaned up and within an hour were on our way to get some breakfast. When I realized we were going into the X-Men team kitchen instead of the student cafeteria, I grew anxious.

While I had been on a few missions, I was technically still a student. Hank seemed to sense my worry and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder as he guided me through the door. Just as when we had come out of the lab yesterday, the dream of the bedroom had given way to the reality of the mansion. What would the team think if they caught Hank and I walking in to breakfast together on a Saturday morning? And the team kitchen, no less! No student could just waltz into places like this. I don't think there was any written rule, but the students were the students and the X-Men were the…well, the teachers. The twain just did not meet so casually. I was extremely self-conscious, but did my best to play it cool.

Of course, the kitchen was not empty. That would have been too easy. Jean Grey and Storm were sitting around one of the three small oak tables drinking coffee dressed casually for the day while Scott was at the counter preparing a bagel. My heart was pounding in my head as I feared what kind of confrontation with three of the top X-Men might happen when they noticed me, which of course they did the moment I came through the door with my new blue lover grinning behind me.

"Oh, good morning, guys!" Jean greeting cheerfully as Storm and Scott look up at us. I knew the second I caught Storm's eyes that she knew exactly what was up. She seemed to stifle both surprise and laughter as she did her best to maintain her composure. I was waiting for…I don't know…something disapproving, but instead got what can only be described as an "alright for you" expression. I smiled weakly. Jean's expression was unreadable. She looked as if it was the most natural thing in the world for me to burst in here with her big, blue teammate.

Scott, however, was clearly surprised to see me and did not hide it. As the leader of the team, I expected him to be aware of protocol above all others.

"Well, Alex…fancy meeting you here," he said simply as he gave a questioning look over my shoulder at Hank.

"Yes, good morning ladies and Scott," Hank chimed merrily. "Alex and I have had a…long night and I thought it would be nice for use to have a solid meal before we attack our day, right, Alex?" He clapped his hand on my back gently as an encouragement to get the hell into the kitchen and deal with it.

"Morning, Hank," Scott said warily as he walked to the table, bagel in hand. Even his red glasses could not mask his scrutiny from me. "Well, I suppose we should get going to that market, Jean, before it gets too crowded." He walked past us and shot Hank an inquisitorial look, to which Hank returned a giant, toothy, totally innocent grin that fooled no one. "Hope you two have a productive day," he quipped as he disappeared out the door.

"Um…hello Miss Grey, Miss Munroe," I said as confidently as I could.

Jean sensed my discomfort right away, of course, but it didn't take a telepath to see I was kind of freaking out.

"For god sake, Alex, sit down and relax," she chided playfully. "Don't worry about Scott. He's way too stuck on formality. You know how he is, Hank."

"Indeed, I do, Jean. He'll get over it," Hank replied and he walked over to the coffee machine. "Coffee, Dar –uh – Alex?"

In retrospect, Hank was clearly playing with my anxiety with his little slip, but I couldn't help but wince as I answered in the affirmative. I've been a coffee and caffeine fiend for ages and never pass up the offer of a cup. I sat down tentatively at another table as he grabbed and filled a couple of mugs. He brought one over to me then proceeded to open a cabinet and grab one of what I soon would learn to be his signature kitchen aprons. This one said "Kiss the Cook" and I knew he picked it to taunt me. I sipped my coffee nervously, thankful for the delight of a nice, robust brew to soothe my brain. Jean and Oro remained silent and exchanged knowing looks.

"So, Alex, how are things going for you? I hear you're juggling your school and trainings quite well."

"Oh, yes, fine, thanks, Miss Munroe. I have good teachers, so it's really not so hard," I replied and immediately regretted my choice of words. Hank gave a little cough of a laugh that he tried to hide behind the banging of the pans he was taking from the cupboard.

"Well, it's obvious you are able to keep your hands on everything fairly well," Storm answered innocently as Jean shot her a wicked look.

I could feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment, but I managed to casually form some sort of reply to that.

"OK, well, I better get Scott and head out to that market," Jean announced suddenly as she rose from her chair.

"Yeah, I suppose I should go program the Danger Room for today's training. You're going to be there, right, Alex?" Storm asked as she stood at the doorway.

I had forgotten about the training that day, so I was grateful for her reminder. I also took it as a good sign that I probably wasn't going to be kicked out for sleeping with my teacher. At least not right away.

"Yes, of course, Miss Munroe. I'll be there at three."

"Good, see you then. You boys have a good day, now!" She winked has she left the room.

I sank my head in my hands and heaved a huge sigh of embarrassment.

"Oh man," I whined. "They totally know. They totally know about us, Hank. Oh, man…"

"Will you relax, Alex?" Hank said as he took a stack of eggs and veggies out of the fridge. "Of course they know. You're wearing the same clothes as you did last night, and their quite rumpled at that. Congratulations on your first walk of shame."

"What? Are you kidding me? And you're fine with this? I'm a student, for crissake, and you are my teacher. We are sooooo dead." My voice was starting to crack as my freak-out started to peak.

"First of all," he replied calmly as he fired up the burner on the stove, "we are consenting adults. You are of legal age and what we did was between us; no one else. Second, we did not break any rules or ethics. Third, you are a student perhaps as a formality only. You have almost completed all of your classes and you are training as if you are already a full part of the team." He was whipping up eggs and milk in a bowl as he looked at me over the wire rims of his glasses. "There was certainly no fuss about Scott and Jean, nor should there be about us."

"Um, but we are two guys, Hank. Do you think everyone's going to just be totally cool about us being gay lovers?"

"Hm. That is really the heart of this, isn't it, Alex?" He set the bowl of eggs on the counter and came over to me. I was hanging my head and rubbing my temples. His big blue feet came into view then he knelt down in front of me and turned my face up to his. "I'm sorry. I should have considered this before. We both know this has to go public at some point if we are going to be in a serious relationship. I have never had any fear of anyone else knowing my sexuality, and I suppose that is because my obvious mutation has made me somewhat…immune to worrying what others think. You, however, are a young man and have all of the perfectly understandable and natural fears of what it means to come out."

I could feel my emotions swell as I started to realize what coming out about my sexuality and my relationship with Hank really meant. When you practically grow up around people who are different and ostracized by most of society, it might not seem like such a big deal to be gay. But people are people, even if those people can walk through walls or shoot lasers out of their eyes. They carry the same fears and prejudices that humanity has built through thousands of years of civilization and all the trappings it builds.

"Hey, Alex, it's going to be alright, I promise you," he cooed as he caressed my hair and held my hand. "You won't be alone in this. I'm standing here with you. I know this is all so fast for you. It's fast for me, too, but I guess over the years I've gotten used to dealing with things quickly."

Hank kissed me on the forehead. "Let me ask you this, Alex. Do you want to build a relationship with me? Do you want to be lovers? Not just sex, but everything else that goes with it. I'm not saying we have to move fast, but if you want to take this seriously, then we need to figure that out so we can deal with it."

Was he crazy? Did I want to be lovers? Weren't we already? What did I say in the lab? What about last night? Wasn't that was lovers do? That was long before I understood the difference between love and sex; when the two were equal and when they were not. At that time I figured that the deal had been sealed. It was simple, right? We kissed, we made love, and ergo we were lovers. Oh, what a naïve little man I was!

"Hank," I finally managed to say, "that's all I've ever wanted."

"Alright, then," he said. "It's you and me against the world, as they say, right? You'll never have to fear. I love you and will stand with you regardless of what happens or what anyone says. I also have a feeling you'll find we have more allies in this than you think. Look at me, Alex." I lifted my eyes to his and once again found myself pulled back from into the warmth of him, the calm, steady gaze that never fails to bring me back to earth. "It's going to be alright. One step at a time, right?" I nodded as I started to calm down. "Good. Now just relax and let me make you the greatest breakfast you'll ever eat!" He kissed me sweetly and jumped back over to the counter.

As my beautiful blue-fuzzed man chopped, sautéed, and scrambled away, I sipped my coffee and thought about what he said. I knew I was in for a whole lot more awkward moments with friends, teammates, and family – I hadn't even thought about what my parents would think – but Hank was there. He is strong, reassuring, confident, and calm. I knew things would be fine as long as he was with me.

I was so lost in thought that I was startled when he set down a plate of the most incredible combination of eggs, veggies, and cheese that I'd ever seen. Of course Hank is an amazing cook. I have yet to discover anything he doesn't do brilliantly. The smell was amazing and it woke the intense hunger that my emotional outburst had suppressed. I immediately dug into the delight as Hank settled down with his own plate across from me. We both ate ravenously in silence. Finally, when our plates were clean, Hank spoke up.

"I am going to make a call to a friend of mine at CERN this afternoon. I think his team is really going to be interested in the data we generated from the meteor yesterday."

"You really think it might be the keys to unlocking Higgs?" I asked as I got up to get another cup of coffee. I gestured to Hank's cup, but he waved it off.

"I really do, but this is not my true area of expertise. I'd like the CERN team to decide if it's worth more study. If they think the structure of the meteor chunk is worth it, then we can take it from there."

"I'd be happy to be in on the call if you need me to provide anything more than the numbers," I offered as I sat back down with a fresh cup of java.

"Well, that might help, but these guys need the hard numbers first. Besides, I have a feeling Logan will be looking for you after he let you off the hook from last night's training."

_And__then__there__'__s__Logan._ His name hung in the air like his stale cigar smoke. I felt a twinge in my gut at the thought of facing him, especially when he _knew_ what happened with Hank and I last night. Not to mention what I knew about him and Hank. I was suddenly struck by the thought of Hank and Logan's relationship and what that meant for us. My fuzzy boyfriend, ever in tune with my expressions, seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. I could feel him regard me carefully as I seemed to be suddenly fascinated by the coffee in my cup. OK, I'll admit I instinctively flexed my vision and examined the molecular combination of the liquid, but that wasn't the point.

"How do you feel about Logan, Alex?" The question stretched between us - so simple, but so loaded.

"How do I feel?" I asked as I snapped my vision back to normal and looked up at him. His face was expressionless; the scientist had returned. He simply looked at me as if he had asked me to describe the motion of an anti-proton.

How did I feel about Logan? I knew I was attracted to him. I found him ferociously sexy with his immense strength, incredible body, and amazing swagger. At times he acted like a singular machine built for battle, then turn around and become a considerate, thoughtful member of the team. He was abrasive at times, with an ever-present aura of angst. His past was dark and almost unknown, even to himself. The Wolverine was moody, crazy at times, stubborn as hell, yet passionate, protective and loyal to his team.

But how did I _feel_ about him? Did I love him like Hank? Maybe. With Logan love feels…complicated, hard to pin down. It's like a constantly moving target. One minute I'd look at him and be completely smitten, then the next he'd do something to really piss me off, or he'd disappear from the school for weeks at a time. Even so, I had to admit I had feelings for him – real and deep feelings. I'd protect him to the death, just as I would Hank. I'd do anything for him and trust him totally, just as I would Hank. Still…_feel_ about him? I wasn't exactly certain.

Hank could see I was applying my typical over-analysis of this question, so he probed a bit more.

"Are you attracted to him? Physically, I mean?" he inquired.

"Oh totally. He's so damn sexy!" I exclaimed quickly then realized I had just admitted to my new boyfriend that I was attracted to another man. My shock and embarrassment was blatant as I struggled to recover. "Oh my god, Hank, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Hank bellowed out laughter and nearly did a spit-take with his coffee in the process.

"Please, Alex! Do NOT be sorry," he said as he regained his composure. "Logan is brilliantly sexy. There's no shame in admitting it to me. You're a man, and a young, horny man, no less. You will be attracted to many men, and that's wonderful to me. Just because you want to have sex with Logan, or any other man, does not make me doubt your love for me."

"Wait, you're telling me that you're totally fine with the fact that I am sexually attracted to Logan?"

"I'm more than fine with it, Alex. I'm excited by it. I've had sex with Logan many times, and I know how totally incredible it is. The thought of you experiencing the same makes me happy."

Even though he'd intimated it before, the fact that he had come right out and told me he'd had sex with Logan (_many__times,_at that!) made me bristle with jealousy. However, when the image of Beast and Wolverine engaged in hot, sweaty, man-love flashed in my mind, I had to admit it was a fucking amazing scene. Still, I could not help but feel more than a bit jealous and intimidated that Hank now had the ability to judge me against Logan in the sack. How could I compete with someone like Logan? He can _heal,_for cryin' out loud! I had to imagine that came with the assumption of unlimited boners. _Unlimited__boners!_Who can compete with that?

Hank stood up, grabbed our plates and silverware, and walked over to the sink. As he started the hot water and squirted in the dish soap, he left me pondering this concept.

"Soooooo…" I finally said. "I wanna jump his adamantium bones. What does that mean?"

"What do you mean 'what does that mean'?" he retorted as he scrubbed the first plate. "It means you have a physical attraction to an attractive, muscular, hairy man. That seems par for you, from what I've noticed." Even with his back to me, I could tell that cocky bastard was grinning ear-to-ear at our little game. "You're a man, Alex, a man with hormones who likes other men with hormones. It's nature. If I expected you to never have sex with another man but me I would be fooling myself and being unfair to us both. Sex is a powerful driver, an instinct as potent as survival. We cannot deny that, though we do have to make sure we are careful, safe, and sane about giving in to it. Just as with anything else, we can let it be destructive if it controls us. However, moderation and control are not the same as denial."

I could not argue with his logic. My own father would talk about the role of sexuality in human behavior. Trust me, those were some _awkward_ dinner conversations when you were twelve years old and your father would carry on about the sexual rituals of some South American tribe as if he were discussing auto repair. When I thought about it, my parents were very honest and practical when discussing sex with me. I certainly wasn't hung up on a lot of the traditional socio-religious dogma that seems so prevalent in Western society. Even so, logic and emotion are always at odds, right? How would I feel to see Logan and Hank together? What about if Logan and I had sex? How would that change my budding relationship with Hank? Should it at all?

"OK, that is fair enough," I answered. "But you asked me how I feel about him, so I assume you mean beyond the physical."

"Mmm. Indeed," was his only response as he dried the dishes and began returning them to the cupboards and drawers.

I did a careful analysis of my thoughts and feeling, taking into account my experiences, both personal and professional, with Logan. I gauged my emotional responses to those experiences and how that shaped an overall assessment of him. Finally, I had enough to formulate an answer.

"I care very much for him, both as a member of the X-Men and as a friend. In fact, I might even say I feel about him much as I do about you. But with Logan it's different, somehow. It's…"

"Complicated," we both said at exactly the same time and laughed.

"Yes, he is complicated," Hank admitted. "There's a lot there, even more than any of us know. He has so many demons, some even he can see. I've been his friend and more for years and I still cannot say I have figured him out. Still, he's as caring, devoted, and valued a man as I have ever met. I cannot imagine my life without him, Alex. That is why I am asking you to think about this. I do not want to end my relationship with him now that you and I are together. Don't get me wrong, Alex," he explained as he turned to face me while drying his hands on a towel, "if you ask me to change my relationship with Logan, I will without hesitation." _But__please__don__'__t__ask__me_was written in his eyes. You didn't need mutant vision to see that.

I knew that how I answered him would shape our relationship forever. I had the power to never share him with Logan, but I knew that would take something away from him that he would regret the rest of our relationship. How would that make him happy? And wasn't the point of loving someone to make them happy? Would it make me happy? Would I want the same freedom? After all, I had only just begun to understand the ways that men could please each other physically. Would I want him to put that same limit on me? But what about love? Could I separate physical and emotional? I didn't know for sure, but I understood that part (OK, a big part) of me was a scientist, and as a scientist I should be able to objectively separate the components into their proper classifications. I had my answer.

"No, Hank. I'd never ask you to do that. How could I love you and deny you what makes you happy? Even if that doesn't include me," I said with more conviction than I really possessed.

Hank smiled warmly and walked over to where I sat. His giant paws came down gently on my shoulders and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around his thick waist and held him. He kissed the top of my head.

"You are starting to understand love just as you have understood everything else – quickly and completely," he rumbled softly above me. "But I want very much for it to include you. That would make my happiness complete. I am not saying you have to run and attack Logan right now, but I know he feels much as I do about you. You know that, too. Do what you feel is right with that knowledge and if you want to have sex with him, then do so. There's no pressure. I trust you to know what is best."

"Jesus, Hank. How is it you can be so damned rational and perfect with everything?" I laughed into his hard, muscular abs of fur.

"Because I have made too many irrational and imperfect choices in my life, Alex," he whispered and I could sense the melancholy behind those words. "I do not intend to repeat them with you."

After breakfast we reluctantly parted ways, Hank to prepare for this call to CERN and I to my room to change clothes and grab my digital tablet. Although it was Saturday, I still had a lot of studying to do and I thought it might take my mind off of things until my training in the Danger Room. When I arrived at my room I found Ed lounging on the bed idly conjuring various figurines from the stone wall. He looked up in surprise as I walked in and began to undress.

"Well, well…look who decided to come home," he said with a smirk. "And just where were you all night?" He wiggled his blond eyebrows accusingly.

I decided not to lie. "Oh, I was with Dr. McCoy," I answered nonchalantly as I sat down to remove my sneakers.

"Oh really? Well…that's…far more boring than I thought," he finished flatly as he tore down a stone unicorn, clapped his hands, and produced a model of an atom. "You really need to have some fun once in a while."

"Oh, like you? It's not like you've been exactly hanging around here, yourself."

"Yeah, well, you're right. I get out and live life, get stuff done," he answered.

"Well, so do I. It's just different kinds of stuff," I said as I fished out a new pair of shorts and a t-shirt from the bureau drawer.

"Hm. I'm sure it is," he chuckled.

"By the way," I said casually as I pulled the shirt over my head, "You need to focus more on the carbon of that stone. You didn't pull enough out. I could shatter that model with a feather. The structure is way weak."

"Huh? Oh, right. Thanks," he said sheepishly. He clapped his hands again, summoning a sort of greenish energy then placed them on the wall. The model collapsed and a sharp dagger, about five inches long, rose from the stone.

"Better," I said as I flexed my vision to study the structure. The carbon chains were more aligned, which made the structure stronger. "That could actually do some damage. It's a good balance. If you pull any more you could collapse the wall."

"Thanks," he smiled. We did actually make a good team when we managed to be in the same place at the same time. "Oh, by the way, that gruff dude…um…Wolverine. He came by this morning looking for you."

I instinctively gulped as I felt a twinge in my gut. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"No, but he said he was going to be in the south garage working on his bike."

"Um…OK…thanks," I replied as I tied my sneakers. "Well, I suppose I should go see what he wants, then." I stood there for a moment with a sudden fear of facing him.

\The south garage was on the other side of the mansion and the walk seemed to take hours. I knew I was being stupid for having such anxiety. After all, if anyone in the whole mansion were cool with all of this, it was Logan. Still, after the talk with Hank that morning, I knew things would be different for me. I had permission…freedom to deal with Logan and let whatever happen, happen. I'm just not sure what was going to happen, and that's really what I was afraid of.

When I opened the door to the garage, I was greeted by a sprawled out Logan, head buried beneath the giant metal engine of his motorcycle. He was ratcheting something or other and I didn't think he heard my come in over the noise of his work. I should've known better.

"So, finally pry yourself away from the Furball, eh kid?" he said without stopping his repair.

I stood there for a moment, transfixed by the sheer hotness of the scene. He was in a pair of denim cutoffs, his thick, hairy thighs stretched out in a V. He had on heavy black work boots and thick white socks that somehow drove me wild. His tattered white tank top was riding up his ripped, veiny torso, revealing just a hint of the hairy eight-pack abs beneath. Logan was the perfect image of masculinity; a powerful, bear of a biker working on his hog. I suddenly realized I had stopped breathing.

"Um, yeah…he…uh…ha-had to make a call to um…that place in Switzerland with the spinny magnet thingy." What the hell was I saying? I had lost my mind and was suddenly a babbling a five-year-old. "CERN. He's contacting a friend at CERN to talk about the data from the study of the meteor fragment." Thank god my brain decided to engage.

He gave a harrumph as he reached for a nearby tool. "All that science stuff. Usually gets him into trouble."

"Um, I suppose."

"Well, I cut you some slack last night to be with Ol' Blue, but I want you back in the gym at one o'clock sharp, you go it?"

My reaction was so instant I didn't have time to cover it. I heaved a sigh. "Look, Storm said we have Danger Room at three," I said as I indicated back behind me to wherever she and the room were.

It was just a split second that I took my eyes from him, but it was enough for him to surprise me. I saw the boot heal just a millisecond before it would have connected with my jaw. I still do not know how he manages to move so fast. I dodged it then brought my arm up just in time to block a right-hook from his brick-like fist. I felt the jaw-jarring slam of him against my forearm and I stumbled backward. Logan was a flurry of fists and I was frantically dodging and blocking until I caught my foot on something on the floor and lost my balance. That's all it took for him to slam me against the wall. In less than a blink I heard the *SNIKT* and was face-to-face with three terrifying claws.

His eyes were pure fire, an intensity that only surfaces in the height of battle. The sweat poured down this face, which came within inches of mine. His breath was sharp and the grip of his other hand around my shoulder was a vice. I was pinned between him and the wall, hopelessly off balance with no way to recover. He held me in place as we both panted from our brawl.

"Do you know why I bother with you?" He growled. "Why I spend so much more damned time with you than any other student? Why we work for hours on this shit?"

I will fully admit that I was scared out of my wits. Logan had never been this intense with me. To be honest, the thought did occur to me that he just might eviscerate me right there in that garage. So, needless to say my answer was only a choked whimper.

"I do it because you don't have an adamantium skeleton. You can't regenerate. You don't shoot lasers from your fucking head. You don't have a steel shield or walk through walls or summon lightening. When we're out there you don't have shit except for your training," he spat. "You're gonna find yourself face-to-face with stuff a whole lot worse than these damn claws and if your training ain't good enough, you're _dead_." His gaze bore a hole in me as his words slapped me upside the head.

As I stared back at him panting with rage and burning with strength, I saw something more. Just as I had with Hank that morning, I saw…beyond his eyes. I saw the words he didn't say.

Yes, I'd be dead. _And__he__couldn__'__t__bear__to__lose__me._

I could not, and still cannot, imagine the life of violence and loss that tore at Logan's world. His regeneration means he has lived a very long time and watched a whole lot of people die. That outburst that day in the garage, that anger, was born out of a fear of losing someone he cared for far more deeply than he would ever admit. I finally understood what Hank meant. This was how Logan loved.

As this realization came over me, the dynamic of our situation changed. I was no longer afraid, I was protected. I was cared for by a man who would do anything for me. My reaction to this was perfectly natural. I grabbed his head and locked my lips on his.

He was damned surprised at first, but after a second his claws retracted and his grip softened. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed harder. He opened his mouth and accepted me in, our tongues wrapped in a dance of spit and delight. Logan tasted like smoke, sweat, and metal. This was powerful passion, so different from the gentle strength of Hank. He pulled me upright and wrapped a thick arm around my waist. I pressed my hands against his amazing pectorals and grabbed at their thick mounds. We made out like two teenagers in heat. Then, as fast as the whole thing began, he let go. For just a second we stood there facing one another, panting with physical and sexual energy. I could see the prominent outline of his snaking cock in his shorts, and I'm sure my own excitement was just as clear.

"I have to fix my bike," he said as he fixed me with a gaze that was softer, almost contrite about what had just happened between us. Then he turned around and grabbed a socket wrench. Just before he got back down under his machine, he turned his head back to me. "One o'clock at the gym." Then he was down and back to work again, ratcheting away at his engine.

I walked away from the garage feeling rather happy. I had taken control of the situation and made a move on Logan. Sure, he was the one who was really in control; I had no illusions about that. But I was far more secure in my dealings with Logan than before. We knew exactly where we stood with each other, and I really liked that. OK, I was super horny and had hoped we might fuck right there in the garage (I had visions of getting bent over his bike), but I was also feeling really good about everything.

I still had a few hours to kill and cool down before my workout with Logan, so I had planned on a little study time in a quiet patio or something. As I was walking back to my room, however, I looked up to find I had, in fact, walked right up to the door of Professor Xavier's office. I didn't remember intending to do so, but I had this feeling that I was supposed to be there. I later learned that he had a tendency to summon people that way. It wasn't a direct mind-control thing, but if he needed to speak with you at the mansion, you just sort of happened to show up. It didn't work with everyone, but Professor X knew how to get your attention.

So there I was at his door and I figured the logical thing to do was knock.

"Come in, Alex," came his smooth British voice from beyond as the door opened on its own.

It was at that moment that the reality of things once again reared its ugly head at me. I did not for a second doubt as to why he wanted to talk to me. Just like I did not doubt that he knew perfectly well what had transpired between Hank and me, and maybe even with Logan as well. However, his expression was calm and welcoming, a paternal sentiment that made everyone at the school feel at ease. I walked into the sophisticated, oak-paneled, bookshelf-lined room and sat down at one of the big, comfortable chairs across from his massive desk. He had several computer screens up on his holo-display and they chittered away with data as he looked at me with a serene smile.

"How are you, Alex?" he asked simply, as if he we were long-lost acquaintances.

I considered his question for a moment and answered simply. "I'm doing well, Professor."

"Indeed you are, my boy," he nodded and slid his wheelchair silently from behind the desk around to where I sat. He studied me for a moment, his soft eyes searching me for signs of…what I do not know. "I know that things have been difficult for you lately. You have been pushing yourself very hard."

"I've been handling it alright, though, so far."

"Hmm…yes, you have. Admirably, in fact. Your strength continues to surprise and impress me," he answered honestly. "But I know that you struggled with your abilities. I felt a great deal of psychic pain inside you, Alex. You fought with some powerful feelings and it began to disrupt your vision."

I knew I could not hide that from him. Looking back, I'm sure anyone with half of the abilities of Professor X would have been smacked upside the head with my emotions from a mile away. But why didn't he do anything about it? Why didn't he try to help me?

"Because it was a battle you had to fight on your own. Alex…sometimes the dragons we fight within can only be slain by our own sword. I knew that in time you would find the peace you needed. I also knew you weren't the only one doing battle with internal beasts."

I had no doubt that his choice of words was completely intentional. I suddenly found it difficult to return his gaze. I looked down at the ornate Oriental rug beneath me as I felt my cheeks flush with shame. The truth was slamming down on me like a freight train and I was unable to escape from the track. Would it be expulsion? Forbiddance to work with Hank again? Hanging? Shunning? There were a few moments of silence that nearly killed me. Why wouldn't he just drop the axe already?

"Alex, I know how you and Henry feel about one another. I have felt it since the day you arrived, from both of you."

"You have?" I said, unable to disguise my surprise.

"Yes, and it's the most honest, pure love I have ever witnessed. The pain that the two of you went through to disguise and deny it was…almost unbearable to someone as psychically sensitive as I. Even Jean had trouble shutting it out."

"Oh…I…I suppose I hadn't thought of that," I whispered as I felt guilt sneaking up on me. I should have known that my raw and intense emotions would be so bothersome to the telepaths around me.

"It's alright, Alex, you didn't realize it, and neither did Henry. But now…Now I sense an overwhelming peace between you two. I can only assume that you have revealed each other and consummated your relationship."

Um, what did he just say? "Um, well, I…um."

He laughed easily at my complete embarrassment. "Oh, please, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Look at me, Alex." I raised my eyes to his. "How do you feel about Henry?"

"I love him more than I am capable of understanding." The words came so quickly and easily that I scarcely realized they were coming out of my mouth.

"I have known Henry for a long time, even before this school was founded. He is an exceptional man who has known a great deal of loneliness and isolation because of the magnitude of his mutation."

"Yes, I know. I could…see it…in his eyes."

"Your vision goes far beyond even the physical, I think, Alex. You are just beginning to know its potential. Henry has never confided in my about you, but I know that he is totally dedicated to you, both in your studies and your life. I could not think of anyone more honest, more trusting, or more devoted than Henry to make your partner."

Then it hit me that the Professor was not at all upset by our relationship. In fact, it was just the opposite. "So…you are alright with this, Professor?"

He seemed genuinely surprise by the question. "Alright? Two incredibly talented, kind, gentle people finding love with one another? I think it is the greatest power on the planet, Alex, and a very rare thing to behold. So yes, I am alright with it." He laughed and I could not help but to smile with him.

His expression suddenly turned serious. "However, I know that not everyone here will share my opinion. We are mutants, and should have a keen grasp of what prejudice means, but people are people. I cannot promise you that things will be easy once word gets out about you two. There will be questions of integrity because you are his student, and there will be flat out ignorance because you are both men. I can already predict that Kurt's strong religious conviction will cause him to react negatively, for example. Jean knows pretty much as I do and she seems absolutely delighted at the idea."

"Yeah, she seemed pretty amused this morning at breakfast."

"I'm sure she was. Scott...well, he might not be as predictable, but I think if you continue to show him it won't affect how you perform with the team out in the field, he will overlook it. Others, well…you will have to just discover that as time goes on."

I sat in silence as I contemplated the others at the school and how they might treat me once this went public. I also realized that I was admitting that it was going to be out in the open and the thought was…almost a relief. I am not saying I was going to go shout it from the rooftop, but the idea of other people finding out didn't seem quite as scary as it did that morning.

"You will find that, just as with being a mutant, you will have allies and you will have those who will shun you. You might not always have control over who chooses which side," he explained as he set a hand gently on my shoulder. "Just understand that they have to make that choice, not you. I cannot promise you things will be easy, Alex. I can only promise that you two will always have my support."

"Thank you, Professor. I think your support means the most of all."

"Yes, well…you might not always think that way. Now, as for Logan…"

_And__then__there__'__s__Logan._ I knew I wasn't going to get away so easy.

"Well, Professor, I don't know if we-"

"It's alright, Alex, I know about Logan and Henry's relationship. I have known about it for a long time," he sighed as he tried to find his next words. "Life as a member of the X-Men is dangerous, and we never know when we'll be living our last day. Sometimes we have to find solace where we can with whom we can. I won't fault anyone for that, not even Logan."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. We're still trying to figure things out."

"And you probably will do so for a while on a number of things. I do not even know how to figure Logan. I don't even know how old he is. But I know there is a lot of pain…betrayal, loss. He's a man who has seen more death and violence than any of us. If he can find anyone to help him, to be there for him, then who am I to judge that? Just be careful, Alex. Logan is not someone to be treated lightly."

"Oh, you don't have to tell _me_ that, Professor," I sighed.

He smiled and patted my shoulder before turning and gliding back behind his desk. "Well, if anyone can handle The Wolverine, I suppose it would be you two. I understand Henry has found something interesting with the meteor fragment I sent him."

"Yes, we think so, anyway. It's too early to know for sure. He's talking to a contact with CERN today to go over the data and see if it's worth sending to their collider. If Hank is right, it might be the key to discovering the Higgs boson."

"Indeed," Professor replied, raising his eyebrows at the prospect, "that would be a discovery that could change mankind. For better or worse, I do not know."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, really. Tell Henry to let me know what he finds out from CERN, will you?"

"Yes, of course, Professor."

"Good. I won't keep you any longer, Alex. Thank you for seeing me. I appreciate you letting me speak my mind."

"Professor, I doubt anyone could stop you from speaking your mind," I quipped and stood up to leave.  
He laughed and I heard the door click open behind me. "Best of luck in your training today. I hear Storm has cooked up something especially good for the Danger Room."

"Ugh. Sounds great," I said with an air of dread as I stepped from his office.

I finally managed to slip into a quiet corner of a patio with my tablet for a few hours of astrophysics study. I had begun to take an interest in astronomy, wondering if my ability to see sub-atomically might also be used to see astronomically. I had flexed my vision to the sky a bit in the past, but there was so much ambient light that it was difficult to really see much, although I saw the flag on the moon once during a particularly clear night. All too soon it was time to meet Logan in the gym.

When I arrived the room felt dim and hazy. Logan was leaning against the far wall, still in the cutoffs and tank top from earlier, only both were now grease stained and sweaty. I could smell his scent from across the room and it made me crazy. He looked at me for a moment before he spoke.

"Let's get started, Kid."

And start we did. Logan ran me through an exhausting routine of circuit training for an hour. Cardio, strength, weight, stretching. It was as intense as any training I had been through with him. It ended in the boxing ring, my mind and body at their absolute limits as he sparred with me. Together we bobbed and weaved, jabbing, dodging, gloved fists connecting to jaw, body, head. I was dizzy with the abuse, but my mind stayed sharp. I even managed to get in a few good blows, which seemed to impress him for about the second it took to rap me across the face again. Finally, the sparring was over and I sagged against the ropes, grabbing lungfulls of air in rasping gulps. He stood there, barely breathing hard, now bare-chested. His dark pelt of hair gleamed with sweat against his incredible body. Even in my exhausted state I couldn't help but be aroused by the sight of him.

"Alright, back to the bench," he barked as he walked back over to the free weight area.

"Aw, shit," I gasped as I willed my broken body into animation.

I lay down on the bench as Logan loaded the barbell up with god knows how much weight. He stood over me in spotting position as I began my first reps. I was looking right up his cutoffs at the tattered and stained pouch of his jock. His whole manly, grimy jock routine was driving my hormones over the edge as the scent of his sweaty crotch invaded my brain. It took every ounce of will to get through my first set. He stood over me like a statue, legs slightly spread, thick thighs just centimeters from the sides of my head. I managed to complete my twentieth rep and I slammed the barbell back in its place.

I looked up into his eyes and saw Logan's upside-down smirk grow a bit sinister. He walked around the bench and straddled my prone body, settling down right on my hips.

"I don't think I can stand much of this," he said quietly as he caressed my chest through my sweat-soaked t-shirt.

"St-stand much of what?" I stammered, trying not to succumb to the feeling of his hard, muscled ass pressing down on my dick.

"Seeing you all hot, sweaty, and pumped and not doing something about it," he answered and mashed his lips against mine.

I responded without hesitation by grabbing that crazy hair and pressing him closer to me. He growled in my mouth and rubbed his shirtless, athletic body all along mine. He began to nibble my neck carefully with those canine fangs. His tongue darted in and out of my ear.

"You know I've wanted this as much as you, Alex" he breathed, calling me by my name for the first time. "But I hadta be careful. I'm sick of being careful."

With a snickt of a claw he had my t-shirt shredded and was pinching my nipples between his calloused fingers. His mouth was everywhere…down my shoulders, over my chest. Logan pressed my arms above my head and attacked my armpits, mixing my sweat with his spit.

"Fuck you are one hot man," he moaned. "I did a damn good job building this body."

I had closed my eyes at the sensation of his oral assault on my torso, but now I looked up at him, dripping with sweat and sex, staring down at me with that cocky smile. I knew right then that I'd do anything he wanted.

However, I was done being a passive player in that game. I grabbed his incredible ass in both hands, taking a moment to consider how easily his muscled cheeks fit into my hands compared to the massive mounds of Hank. Logan was compact but stocky in contrast to Beast's never-ending wide mass of muscle. I did not take too long to consider this, however, as I began to lick the sweat from the hair on his chest, nibbling and sucking at his nipples. This seemed to be the right thing to do as it elicited growls of pleasure as I bit down. At first I feared I was too rough in my passion then I remembered…this was Logan.

He sat upright and I followed him, tracing every bulging vein of his torso, inhaling his musk that flowed without end. I licked up his ribcage, tasting the hint of metal that lurked beneath the skin. I reached his armpit and he offered it up to me. I dined on the unbelievable taste and smell in those divine crevices. Our throbbing cocks were both begging for release as they fought together beneath the fabric of our shorts.

Logan stood up and pressed the denim-covered bulge against my face. I mouthed his dick through the soaked material as my hands ran under the leg openings and caressed his massive ball sack through his jock. Finally, he popped the button and I grabbed the zipper between my teeth. His cock was a mammoth bulge against the thin jock pouch and threatened to tear it apart. The meat was drooling like a faucet and I clamped my mouth over it to suck up the juices. To this day I remember ever detail of that sweaty, dirty jock pouch. The taste was a combination of sweat, jizz, and piss like I'd never dreamed. This was down and dirty jock sex.

I could only be kept from the prize for so long before I pried that fucktube from its mesh prison. As I pushed the pouch aside, it burst free - a giant, dripping uncut cock. Logan's dick suited him perfectly – strong, thick, and demanding. I could barely wrap my hand around it, and for a moment wondered if I could even get my mouth around it.

"You like that cock, Kid," he said as he leered down at me.

"Fuck yeah, Logan. It's as fuckin' beautiful as you are," I answered, looking right into his eyes with my own powerful stare.

"Hm, yeah well you better start showing me how much you like it."

I proceeded to give him the best cock worshiping I could muster. I'd only had a couple of cocksucking lessons from Hank, but this monster was different. Logan didn't hold back as he shoved his meat into my throat. He was insistent and unforgiving and I loved every second of it. I slipped the skin back and forth over the bulbous head and he fucked my face. My tongue danced around the slit, lapping up the fountain of precum that seemed never to end.

"I could bust this nut down your gullet, Bub, but not yet," he grinned as he popped out of my hungry mouth. I wanted to suck on that sweaty jock meat for hours.

He stepped off me, slung his shorts off into the corner, and spun around. With his typical speed and skill he straddled me again, shucked my shorts, and went to town on my throbbing member. Logan was a brilliant cocksman. He teased me through my jock as I had done to him. He didn't play that game for long and soon had me down to the hilt. My mind short-circuited as he worked my dick up and down, grabbing my balls in his strong hands. It was so good that it took me a minute to realize his amazing ass was splayed open in my face, waiting to be eaten.

I dove into those sweaty cheeks, taking in the mind-blowing smell of his sweat and musk. As Logan worked my cock into a frenzy, I played my tongue around his hairy pucker. He began to moan and buck back against my face. I could barely breath, I was so deep into his butt, but I didn't care. I jabbed my tongue into his hole and worked it around. I never thought he'd be the kind to get into it, but clearly Logan liked to be rimmed. He bobbed and danced his ass on my face as his action on my cock grew fiercer. Soon I was dying to lose my load down that man's throat, but again he had other ideas.

In a flash he was up again, spinning around and planting that hot ass right down onto my spit-covered dick. Now, I had always assumed Logan would top me, but I wasn't about to argue as that magic vacuum of an ass engulfed me.

"Oh, that's IT! That's fucking IT!" he said as he slid down my pole. "I'm gonna fuck the cum right outta that hot cock o' yours"

Logan's athleticism was just as impressive as Hank's as he ground up and down my dick. He may have been the bottom technically, but he was in control as he rode me. His giant cock bobbed and drooled on my hairy belly. I grabbed it and ran my palm over the slick foreskin. Logan stroked my cock with his ass as I stroked his with my fist. The motion was frenetic as we patted and moaned on that bench. At one point I wasn't sure it would take the pounding as he slammed down on me. I could feel my head hit his prostate over and over again, driving splashes of cock-snot down into me.

"Fuck…I ain't gonna last much longer, Kid," he cried as he picked up the speed. I was now slamming back up to him as I started to feel my load climb from my aching balls.

"Shoot it, man…cuz I'm gonna…ahhh!" I warned as my orgasm began to overtake me.

Logan's eruption of cum could only be described as epic. It must have something to do with his regeneration or something, but when that huge piss slit pulsed the white lava was a steady stream. His cry was a guttural declaration of joy as his ass clamped down on me. The hair on my chest was drenched by the heavy load of cum. Over and over it pumped as I cried out and sprayed his guts with sperm. We were one singular jizz factory as I filled him and he poured out over me. It seemed like forever as we rode together, but finally we came down.

"Jesus, Alex. What a fuck you turned out to be!" he panted as slumped over onto me.

Our bodies were slick with his cum as we pressed together. After a minute of recovery, he looked up and me. With the lust of sex receding, I could see a tenderness I didn't even think possible. He caressed my face and leaned in to kiss me. Where we had been passionate, uncontrollable animals, we were now two men bound by forces more than physical. We made out with a tenderness of lovers as we caressed each other's spent bodies.

As the world came back around us, we realized that we couldn't lie on the weight bench, covered in cum, forever. I felt my softening cock slip reluctantly from his ass as he stood up. We made our way discretely to the shower. As we scrubbed the sex from our bodies, Logan was a whole different man. He was playful as we soaped each other up. He was so easy to be with as we scrubbed and washed our lovemaking away.

"It's almost time to get to the Danger Room," he said, looking at the clock as we toweled off.

"Shit, it is, and we still have to suit up," I said as my aching body demanded rest, not more work.

"We'll be alright," he said as he slipped on his clothes. "I think you'll do great today, even if it seems like you're worn out now. You have a lot of strength, Kid. I'm proud of what you've become and I can't wait to see what you're gonna do."

If I had any doubts before, they disappeared at that moment. I love Logan, just as I love Hank, and instead of making life complicated, it gave it a totality I didn't even know I needed.


End file.
